Though the concept was known to all, scientists for the first time have found definitive evidence to conclude that crows, similar to human beings, use tools to gather food and at times even to entertain themselves. The scientists recorded the act in videos through specially invented crow tailcam. In the footage, New Caledonian crows can be seen making tools in the wild.

UK researchers Jolyon Troscianko and Christian Metz, who have been studying the activities of crows in the wild for years, claim to have earlier seen crows making tools in the wild. But they then could not capture it on camera.

Developed by the University of Exeter, these cameras are small and quite light, a feature that provides it the ability to sit on crows and record their activity. The cameras are fitted with microSD cards and radio beacons, which enable the scientists to recover footage when the cameras slide off after a few days.

The cameras, which were designed so that these fell off birds after a few days, captured videos showing birds feeding just using their beaks, interacting with baby crows, and using tools. “What's especially remarkable is that we now have solid evidence that crows make hooked tools, something only humans were thought doing earlier”, say scientists.