THE BOLD AND THE BRAINY

With abilities that range from REMEMBERING FACES to PLAYING TRICKS ON PEOPLE, jays, crows and other members of the corvid family are considered some of THE SMARTEST BIRDS ON THE PLANET

- EMILY HANNEMANN

Caw, caw! Jaaay, jaaay! Even if you're not sure what a corvid is, you've almost certainly heard one. Birds in the Corvidae family aren't bashful.

They're loud and proud, and they have the brains to back up their confidence. Seventeen corvid species call North America home, most of them being jays, crows or ravens.

At least one corvid species is present in nearly every corner of the U.S., using its hefty brain power to trick unsuspecting humans, play pranks on other birds and even to hold funerals for fallen flock members.

"A lot of field observations and lab work show their ability to solve various problems and remember past events for long periods of time," says John Marzluff, professor of wildlife science at the University of Washington. Here's what you should know about these super-smart birds.

JAYS 

Inquisitive and boisterous, jays are a staple in many North American yards. Birders may spot blue jays, Steller's jays or one of the three most common types of scrub-jays: Woodhouse's, California or Florida. The jays call a wide variety of habitats home, from evergreen forests to suburban yards and shrublands, and are known for their loud and varying vocalizations.

John, who has studied corvids for 40 years, explains that blue jays' food-storing behaviors help disperse oak acorns. "That relationship is maybe one of the reasons oaks and bird-dispersed plants produce so much seed," he says. "Some of it gets eaten, but some of it doesn't. It's like having a little farmer work for you."

Besides their ability to spread seeds, jays are known for being mischievous. California scrub-jays, for example, steal acorns from acorn woodpecker caches and from other scrub-jays. Steller's and Canada jays will swoop in to snatch food from unsuspecting campers, and blue jays imitate the calls of red-shouldered hawks to trick other birds into thinking a predator is near.