Social competence, i.e. defined as the ability to adjust the expression of social behaviour to the available social information, is known to be influenced by early-life conditions. Brood size might be one of the factors determining such early conditions, particularly in species with extended parental care. We here tested in ravens whether growing up in families of different sizes affects the chicks’ responsiveness to social information.

Gallego-Abenza, M., Boucherie, P., Bugnyar, T., Early social environment affects attention to social cues in juvenile common ravens, Corvus corax, 2022, In: Royal Society Open Science