Crows make decisions faster than humans

Black crows can make decisions in 235 milliseconds during a classical visual discrimination test, according to a study published in Science by two neuroscientists from the University of Tübingen, Germany. This speed is twice as fast as that of rhesus macaques and humans, who take between 500 and 600 milliseconds to complete the same task.

Study replicates primate reference task

The study, published on October 22, 2026, replicates a reference task in primates used since the 1990s. This task has long been a standard in decision neuroscience to measure how quickly and accurately animals can process visual information and make choices.

Crows respond with precise gestures

The team trained black crows, scientifically known as Corvus corone, to indicate the dominant direction in a moving cloud of points. This task required the birds to respond with a precise gesture, while electrodes captured the activity of their neurons to study how their brains processed the information.

Crows maintain precision under ambiguity

The crows responded on average in a quarter of a second. Rhesus macaques subjected to the same protocol take approximately 500 to 600 milliseconds, according to Science. Humans display similar times, despite their brain being much larger. The precision of the black crow remained intact, including when the visual signal became ambiguous.

Brain region studied in crows

The recordings targeted the nidopallium caudolateral, or NCL. This structure is considered the functional equivalent of the prefrontal cortex in primates. Neurons sensitive to the direction of movement encoded the upcoming choice as early as 70 milliseconds after the appearance of the points. Their activity increased more rapidly as the signal became clearer.