Ravens follow wolves to dinner — and somehow know where to go first

Source Details

Loretto MC, Beck KB, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Walker LE et al. 'Ravens anticipate wolf kill sites across broad scales.' Science, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/science.adz9467. Observational field study; full methodology including sample sizes, GPS fix rates, and statistical models not confirmed from abstract alone. Key limitation not previously noted: ravens' behavior may reflect site fidelity to recurring hunting grounds rather than true predictive cognition, a distinction the study's design would need to explicitly test.

Credibility & Methodology

Published in Science, March 2026. Study type inferred as observational field study using GPS telemetry of wolves and ravens; likely conducted in Yellowstone National Park based on co-author affiliations with the Yellowstone Wolf Project. Peer-reviewed. Key limitation: only the abstract was available for this article; sample sizes, specific effect statistics, and protocol details are inferred and should be verified against the full text. DOI: 10.1126/science.adz9467.

Publication Context

Published in Science, 2026