The mussel caching behaviour of Hooded CrowsCorvus corone cornix

Abstract

The food caching behaviour of Hooded Crows Corvus corone cornix was studied at Lough Hyne Marine Reserve, Ireland. All prey items cached were obtained from the intertidal zone and Mussels Mytilus edulis were the most frequently recovered prey species. The methods used to cache intertidal prey species were similar to that previously described for other species in the genus Corvus. Mussels were cached on a falling tide and usually recovered by crows within 2–3 days. Mussels were recovered during high tide and this behaviour was a response to short-term, daily fluctuations in food availability.