This video from San Diego Zoo shows a remarkable skill of the Hawaiian ‘Alalā. These crows are nearly extinct, but researchers have now studied what’s so clear in the video: The ‘Alalā uses tools. This makes the bird a member of a very exclusive club that includes less than 1 percent of all known animals.
The ‘Alalā is the second species in the genus Corvus that uses tools, which is especially intriguing to scientists. For these crows, the ability is all about digging out bugs and other delectables. It’s obvious in the video that this is widespread—we see two crows using the same stick to procure food.
