Editorial: vocal communication in corvids

Abstract

Corvids are one of the most prominent avian taxa for the study of animal behaviour and cognition, yet their vocal communication remains comparatively understudied. This special collection synthesizes current research on the ontogeny, mechanisms, functions, and evolutionary trajectories of corvid vocal systems through the lens of Tinbergen’s four questions. Contributions highlight early emergence of vocal individuality and socio-contextual plasticity in vocal behaviour across development. Corvid vocal sequences often conform to linguistic laws like Menzerath’s law, while also exhibiting context-sensitive modulation. Experimental work demonstrates advanced vocal flexibility and cognitive control: rooks can learn human verbal commands by attending primarily to auditory cues, and perceive rhythmic variations and flexibly adjust vocal timing in response to tempo and metrical changes, even without full entrainment, positioning corvids as promising models for exploring the evolutionary roots of rhythm and musicality. Field-based experiments show that female jackdaws recognize mates’ contact calls under natural conditions, supporting social coordination and pair-bond stability. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrate how ecological pressures and social complexity shape acoustic structure across the Corvidae family, while novel biologging and machine-learning approaches promise to overcome methodological challenges in studying vocal communication in corvids. Together, these findings position corvids as a powerful model for exploring the evolution of communication systems and their cognitive underpinnings.