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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Steven Morris

Jackdaws ditch friends to gain food but stick with family, study finds

A pair of jackdaws trying to access food during the study
The scientists presented wild jackdaws with a task in which access to tasty mealworms depended on which individuals visited together. Photograph: Josh Arbon

Blood may be thicker than water when it comes to humans relationships – and it appears that the same is true of jackdaws after scientists found they readily switch friends to gain food but stick with family even at the risk of going hungry.

A study of jackdaw colonies in west Cornwall established that the small crows ditch old friends and make new ones if it helps them get rewards but stick with family through thick and thin.

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