IELTS Reading Answers for The Intelligence of Corvids - Detailed Explanation & Tips

The IELTS Reading Test consists of three long passages designed to assess candidates' comprehension skills. These texts span various topics of academic and general interest, with the difficulty level increasing progressively from the first to the third passage. Test-takers are advised to spend no more than 20 minutes on each passage to manage their time effectively.

The IELTS Reading answers for "The Intelligence of Corvids" discuss the advanced intelligence and cognitive abilities of corvids. The article also covers their use of tools, problem-solving skills, capacity for deception, and social cooperation. 

The Intelligence of Corvids is an IELTS Reading test passage. The passage includes 13 sample questions in three categories: multiple choice, matching information, and sentence completion. Practicing these sample questions will help you understand the question pattern, question type, and test standard of the IELTS exam.

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The Intelligence of Corvids IELTS Reading Passage

The passage below, "The Intelligence of Corvids," is a common Reading passage in the IELTS exam. You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 1-13, which are based on the Reading Passage below.

The Intelligence of Corvids

1. For hundreds of years humans thought that tool making was a uniquely human trait. In 1960, Jane Goodall observed chimpanzees using tools in the wild, a discovery to which Goodall’ mentor Louis Leakey famously responded, “We must redefine tool, redefine man, or accept chimpanzees as human.” It is now commonly accepted the various primates engage in tool making, and there is a growing body of evidence that many corvids, a group of bird specs that includes crows, jays, rooks, ravens, and magpie, are also tool makers, and that they show many other signs of possessing high intelligence.
2. Scientists have observed wild New Caledonian crows making hooks out of twigs to pull grubs from tree holes that are too deep for their beaks. New Caledonian crows also sometimes use their beaks to create small spears from leaves for collecting insects. Because New Caledonian crows are highly social and because tool design varies from area to area, most researchers assume the birds tool use is cultural; that is, the tool use is learned from other crows.
3. In 2002, however, three researchers at Oxford University reported in Science a starting new twist to tool making in corvids. A New Caledonian crow that had been captured in 2000 as a juvenile had invented a new tool from materials not found in her natural habitat without observing the behavior in other crows. The Crow, named Betty, shared space with a male crow named Abel. The researchers had set up an experiment in which both crows were presented with a straight wire and a hooked wire and food that could most easily be retrieved with a hooked wire. When Abel flew away with the hooked wire, Betty bent the straight wire and successfully lifted the bucket of food with her hook. The researchers then set out to see whether they could get Betty to replicate the behavior. Ten times, they set out a single straight wire and food to be retrieved. Betty retrieved the food nine times by bending the wire; once she managed to retrieve the food with the straight wire. Alex Kacelik, one of the researchers who worked with the crows, noted that she had solved a new problem by doing something she had never done before.
4. Professor John Marzloff, at the University of Washington in Seattle, demonstrated another interesting ability in American crows: recognizing faces of individual humans. In 2005, he and other researchers each wore a Caveman mask when they captured, tagged, and then released crows on campus. Then Marzloff and other researchers took turns wearing the mask and walking around campus. Over time, increasing numbers of crows flocked together and cawed at anyone wearing the caveman mask, regardless of the size, gender, and skin color of the mask wearer or whether the wearer was one of the researchers who had originally captured crows. When the same people did not wear the mask, they got no reaction from the crows. This showed that it was clearly the face that was identified as a threat to the flock. Crows that had not originally been captured were joining the harassment of the perceived threat. When Marzloff suggested that researchers try wearing the caveman mask upside down, some crows actually turned their heads upside down to better identify the face of the “enemy.”
5. In their studies of western scrub jays published in Science in May 2006, Johann Daly, Nathan Emery, and Nicola Clayton showed that jays have the ability to remember whether a specific other day saw them hide food for later use. When it became clear that a jay that observed the hiding might have access to the cache, the hiders retrieved their food and re-hid it when given the opportunity to do so without observation. “They did not re-hide food when other Jays were introduced to the situation. Similarly, ravens in the wild have been observed misleading other ravens by pretending to hide food in one location then flying off to hide it elsewhere when the other raven goes to investigate the false cache.
6. Corvids are also capable of fooling humans. Marzloff tells the story of a pair of crows that built a fake nest that they always flew to when researchers were in their area. The crows’ actual nest with their young was nearby, but the humans never saw the crows actually fly to it.
7. In an experiment to test social cooperation in rooks, University of Cambridge researchers found that pairs of rooks quickly figured out how to pull on ropes at the same time to bring food that could not be gained through the individual effort of one rook.
8. Otto Koehler tested the ability of captive jackdaws to count, a skill apparently related to their communication often being based on the number of calls. First, Koehler trained jackdaws to expect five food rewards. Then the jackdaws were given a number of boxes, some of which contained food. They proceeded to open the boxes until they had found five pieces of food, at which point they stopped opening boxes because they knew they had reached five. In another experiment, Koehler also trained Jackdaws to choose a box with the same number of dots on the Id as the number of dots on a cue card.
9. “Tool makers, tricksters, cooperators, mathematicians—the corvids are far from “bird brains”. In fact, their intelligence, in many cases, appears to equal or even surpass that of many of our primate “cousins.”

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The Intelligence of Corvids IELTS Reading Answers 

Questions 1 – 3

Choose the correct answer.

1. Researchers wore a mask when working with crows in order to………..

A. conceal their true dent from the crows

B. find out whether crows would recognize the mask In another situation

C. protect their faces from aggressive crows

2. Crows harassed researchers wearing the mask because the researchers ………..

A. were of a size and skin color that crows feared

B. had worn the mask when handling cows

C. took turns wearing the mask while walking around campus

3. When researchers removed the mask, ………

A. they could more easily tag the crows

B. the crows did not harass them

C. they were attacked by the entire flock of crows

Question 1. Researchers wore a mask when working with crows in order to………..

• Answer: B. find out whether crows would recognize the mask in another situation
• Answer Location: Paragraph 4
• Reference: “Then Marzloff and other researchers took turns wearing the mask and walking around campus.”
• Explanation: The purpose of wearing the caveman mask was to test whether the crows could identify and associate a specific human face with a negative experience. This experiment was designed to explore the crows’ facial recognition skills.

Question 2. Crows harassed researchers wearing the mask because the researchers………..

• Answer: B. had worn the mask when handling crows
• Answer Location: Paragraph 4
• Reference: “...each wore a Caveman mask when they captured, tagged, and then released crows...”
• Explanation: The crows associated the mask with a prior threat—being captured. Their consistent reaction to the mask, regardless of the wearer’s identity, demonstrated their capacity to retain and act upon negative experiences.

Question 3. When researchers removed the mask, ………

• Answer: B. the crows did not harass them
• Answer Location: Paragraph 4
• Reference: “When the same people did not wear the mask, they got no reaction from the crows.”
• Explanation: This indicates that the crows were not reacting to the people themselves but rather to the facial features of the mask, further confirming their facial recognition ability.

Questions 4 – 7

Match each corvid action described by researchers below with the information it shows us about corvid intelligence.

4. Birds opened boxes to obtain food.

A. Corvids recognize individual bids

B. Corvids are skilled at remembering where they hid things

C. Corvids protect themselves by tricking their enemies

D. Corvids are good at discovering food sources

E. Corvids can work together to achieve a goal

F. Corvids can count

5. Birds pulled ropes to get food

A. Corvids are good at discovering food sources

B. Corvids can count

C. Corvids can work together to achieve a goal

D. Corvids recognize individual birds

E. Corvids are skilled at remembering where they hid things

F. Corvids protect themselves by tricking their enemies

6. Birds hid food from other birds

A. Corvids can work together to achieve a goal

B. Corvids are good at discovering food sources

C. Corvids are skilled at remembering where they hid things

D. Corvids recognize individual birds

E. Corvids can count

F. Corvids protect themselves by ticking their enemies

7. Birds built a nest that was not real

A. Corvids can work together to achieve a goal

B. Corvids are skilled at remembering where they hid tings

C. Corvids can count

D. Corvids are good at discovering food sources

E. Corvids protect themselves by tricking their enemies

F. Corvids recognize individual birds

Question 4. Birds opened boxes to obtain food

• Answer: F. Corvids can count
• Answer Location: Paragraph 7
• Reference: “They proceeded to open the boxes until they had found five pieces of food, at which point they stopped…”
• Explanation: The jackdaws showed the ability to count by stopping the activity after retrieving the expected number of food items. This counting behavior is significant evidence of numerical cognition in birds.

Question 5. Birds pulled ropes to get food

• Answer: E. Corvids can work together to achieve a goal
• Answer Location: Paragraph 6
• Reference: “...pairs of rooks quickly figured out how to pull on ropes at the same time to bring food...”
• Explanation: This behavior demonstrates cooperative problem-solving, a trait associated with social intelligence. The coordinated action indicates a level of mutual understanding and planning.

Question 6. Birds hid food from other birds

• Answer: F. Corvids protect themselves by tricking their enemies
• Answer Location: Paragraph 5
• Reference: “...pretending to hide food in one location then flying off to hide it elsewhere…”
• Explanation: This deceptive action, often used to mislead competitors, shows advanced thinking and strategic behavior aimed at resource protection.

Question 7. Birds built a nest that was not real

• Answer: E. Corvids protect themselves by tricking their enemies
• Answer Location: Paragraph 5
• Reference: “...built a fake nest that they always flew to when researchers were in their area.”
• Explanation: The construction and use of a decoy nest reflects deliberate deception used to protect their actual nesting site, a sign of intelligence and risk awareness.

Questions 8 – 13

Complete the summary using the list of words and phrases below.

Jane Goodall’s work in 1960 showed that 8…………………….. were not the only ones to make tools. Since then, scientists have observed different kinds of animals making tools. New Caledonian crows, for example, make tools in order to retrieve the 9…………………….. that they eat in the wild. Scientists believe that generally these birds 10 ………………………how to make tools. In 2002, a captive New Caledonian crow named Betty invented a new tool. Scientists observed Betty use pieces of wire to make 11……………………… which she used to retrieve food. The interesting thing is that other crows did not 12………………………… the tools. Once the scientists saw Betty make a tool, they tried to get her to 13……………………… the behavior which she did successfully.

learn from other birds	hooks
twigs	try to take away
humans	modify
repeat	chimpanzees
spears	grub
are born knowing	teach her how to make
leaves	corvids

Question 8. Jane Goodall’s work in 1960 showed that……………… were not the only ones to make tools.

• Answer: chimpanzees
• Answer Location: Paragraph 1
• Reference: “In 1960, Jane Goodall observed chimpanzees using tools in the wild...”
• Explanation: Goodall’s discovery challenged the previous belief that tool-making was uniquely human, highlighting the intelligence of other species.

Question 9. Since then, scientists have observed different kinds of animals making tools. New Caledonian crows, for example, make tools in order to retrieve the……………… that they eat in the wild.

• Answer: grub
• Answer Location: Paragraph 2
• Reference: “...hooks out of twigs to pull grubs from tree holes that are too deep for their beaks.”
• Explanation: Grubs are cited as a primary food source the birds access using tools, showing tool-use for foraging.

Question 10. Scientists believe that generally these birds……………… how to make tools.

• Answer: learn from other birds
• Answer Location: Paragraph 2
• Reference: “...most researchers assume the birds’ tool use is cultural; that is, the tool use is learned from other crows.”
• Explanation: Tool-making behavior is believed to be socially transmitted rather than instinctive, underlining the role of learning.

Question 11. In 2002, a captive New Caledonian crow named Betty invented a new tool. Scientists observed Betty use pieces of wire to make……………… which she used to retrieve food.

• Answer: hooks
• Answer Location: Paragraph 3
• Reference: “Betty bent the straight wire and successfully lifted the bucket of food with her hook.”
• Explanation: Betty’s innovative creation of a hook from unfamiliar material highlights spontaneous problem-solving ability.

Question 12. The interesting thing is that other crows did not……………… the tools.

• Answer: try to take away
• Answer Location: Paragraph 3
• Reference: “...without observing the behavior in other crows.”
• Explanation: Betty’s behavior was not influenced by others, indicating that it was a unique, self-derived action.

Question 13. Once the scientists saw Betty make a tool, they tried to get her to……………… the behavior which she did successfully.

• Answer: repeat
• Answer Location: Paragraph 3
• Reference: “Betty retrieved the food nine times by bending the wire...”
• Explanation: Betty consistently replicated the tool-making behavior, showing that the action was intentional and repeatable.

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Conclusion

Need help with the IELTS reading passage “The Intelligence of Corvids”? This guide have detailed The Intelligence of Corvids answers along with simple explanations to help you understand and learn better. 

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