We are delighted to announce that due to a number of generous donations from both members of the public and the scientific community, together with support from the University of Cambridge, we are able to keep the corvid aviaries at Madingley open for a further five years.
The Cambridge Animal Alphabet series celebrates Cambridge's connections with animals through literature, art, science and society. Here, J is for Jay – a surprisingly clever corvid with the ability to mimic human voices and much more.
New research shows that male jays are able to disengage from their own current desires to feed their female partner food that she wants.
Researchers in Cambridge and Exeter have discovered that jackdaws use their eyes to communicate with each other – the first time this has been shown in non-primates.
Nicky Clayton, Professor of Comparative Cognition in the Department of Experimental Psychology, has thrown the doors wide open on animal cognition. Where once the idea would have been dismissed that animals can re-experience the past and plan for the future, her imaginative studies have shown this inherent cleverness in crows.
© 2025 University of Cambridge