2025/12/22 by Claudia A. F. Wascher · 1 voice
Environmental Science · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Avian ecology and behavior #Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology #Animal Behavior and Reproduction
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41597-025-06471-x
Corvids (Aves: Corvidae) are renowned for their advanced cognitive abilities, complex social structures, and ecological adaptability, making them model organisms for studies in ecology, evolution, behaviour and cognition. However, comprehensive datasets integrating morphological, life-history and socio-ecological traits across the family remain scarce, limiting cross-species comparisons and evolutionary analyses. Here, I present a dataset compiling key traits for 135 corvid species worldwide. Data include morphological (e.g., body measurements, endocranial volume), life-history (e.g. age at dispersal, life span), ecological (e.g., habitat, trophic niche, geographic range) and social (e.g., sociality, breeding system) traits. This resource will facilitate comparative research on the evolutionary pressures driving corvid behaviour, support investigations into the ecological and social drivers of evolution, and advance our understanding of avian adaptation in rapidly changing environments.