Scientists have found that crows possess an extraordinary ability to understand visual information and make decisions based on it. According to researchers at the University of Tübingen in Germany, crows can make certain visual decisions almost twice as fast as humans and monkeys.

According to the study, crows took an average of just 235 milliseconds to identify the direction of moving dots and respond, which is approximately one-quarter of a second. The research has been published in the scientific journal Science.

During the experiment, researchers placed two black crows in front of a touchscreen displaying moving dots. The birds had to identify whether most of the dots were moving towards the right or left. To respond, they had to peck the corresponding direction on the screen.

The results showed that when the movement of the dots was clear, the crows achieved an accuracy rate of nearly 100 per cent. They also performed well in more difficult situations. Another important finding was that the crows' brains began processing information about the direction of movement just 70 milliseconds after it started.

To understand this process, scientists recorded the activity of nerve cells in a specific region of the crows' brains known as the nidopallium caudolaterale. This region plays an important role in processing information and making decisions. It performs functions similar to those of the prefrontal cortex in the human brain, helping with thinking, evaluating information and decision-making.

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The study also found remarkable similarities in the basic processes of information analysis and decision-making in birds and humans, despite differences in their brain structures. Humans and other mammals have a cerebral cortex, while birds have a different brain structure. Nevertheless, crows are capable of understanding complex information and drawing conclusions.

According to researchers, the crows' rapid decision-making abilities may be linked to their evolutionary needs. Quickly identifying flight paths and obstacles, as well as selecting the right locations while searching for food, are essential for their survival.

However, scientists say further research is needed to understand how the different structure of crows' brains enables them to make decisions so quickly. The study also highlights that intelligence is not determined solely by brain size or structure, but also by how quickly and efficiently the brain processes information.