The Hawaiian crow is the latest animal to be added to the elite group of species that use tools. Scientists have recently documented, that these species employed sticks to extract small pieces of food particles stuck in wooden logs, which is a hard-to-do task for birds. These crows were able to do it in less than a minute.

New Caledonia crow, closely related to the Hawaiian species are already known to be master toolmakers and users. Both species have large, mobile eyes and unusually straight bills. scientists believe that these are evolutionary adaptations that enable them to use tools, much like humans having opposable thumbs.

However these remarkable skills are in danger of being lost. The Hawaiian crow is the most endangered corvid species and is already extinct in the wild due to habitat loss.