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Family size shapes social object play in young ravens

Pair of common ravens perched together
Research · Behaviour

Young ravens (Corvus corax) are famous for their curiosity and playfulness, and a 2026 study found that subtle differences in the social environment during upbringing can change the social pattern of object play. Researchers manipulated family size within the natural range and then observed juvenile ravens at standardised playgrounds with objects to explore.

The experiment involved 25 juveniles in 11 families produced by six captive breeding pairs at research and zoo facilities in Austria. Family size was experimentally adjusted by removing eggs before hatching, producing families of one to three offspring, and the birds were tested in aviaries after fledging.

The researchers expected young birds from larger families to play more. That did not happen. Family size did not clearly change how much individual ravens manipulated objects or how readily they gained access to the playground.

Instead, the difference appeared in the social side of play. Ravens from smaller families were more often together at the playground and showed more selective interest in what other birds were doing with objects. Having fewer siblings therefore did not make them less playful; it changed the opportunities they had to watch and interact closely with others around objects.

The researchers conclude that even slight differences in family size within the natural range can mediate young ravens’ opportunities to interact, play and develop their social repertoire. They also note that several small families were single-sex broods, especially female broods, so family size and brood sex composition were not completely independent in this sample.

Sources and image credit

  1. Boucherie, P. H., Comin, V., & Bugnyar, T. (2026). Subtle differences in family size mediate object play in young ravens (Corvus corax). Communications Biology. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-026-10290-0Primary peer-reviewed study, Communications Biology, published 11 July 2026, CC BY 4.0

Image: Pair of common ravens perched together. Photo: Pkspks. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Representative image for this story; not presented as an animal or scene from the reported study or event. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

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