Do Ravens Steal Shiny Objects?

What the Research Shows

[science] The key experimental test of the "magpie/corvid attracted to shiny objects" claim:

• Shephard et al. (2014), University of Exeter: Wild magpies were offered food near both shiny objects (foil squares, rings) and dull versions. Result: magpies showed no preference for shiny objects, and were actually more cautious (neophobic) around novel shiny items than around equivalent dull items.
• The study found no evidence that magpies are attracted to shiny objects — the opposite of the folk belief.

This study specifically tested magpies (Pica pica), not ravens. No equivalent controlled study has been published specifically on Common Ravens and shininess as of 2026.¹

What Ravens Actually Do with Objects

[science] Ravens do interact extensively with objects — but for different reasons than attraction to shine:

• Play: Ravens manipulate, carry, and drop objects in play — particularly juveniles. This is generalised object exploration, not shiny-object preference.
• Caching: Ravens cache food and may cache non-food objects in some contexts. Bugnyar & Heinrich (2005) documented sophisticated food caching; object caching for non-food items is less studied.
• Tool investigation: Ravens investigate novel objects as potential resources — a neophilic tendency that co-exists with caution around genuinely novel items.
• Pair bonding gifts: Pika & Bugnyar (2011) documented ravens presenting objects to partners as gestures — objects chosen for social significance, not material properties.

None of these documented behaviours are specific to shininess.^2,3

Where the Belief Comes From

[lore] The "thieving magpie" and "corvids steal shiny objects" tropes have deep cultural roots:

• Gioacchino Rossini's opera La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie, 1817) popularised a plot in which a servant girl is wrongly accused of theft while a magpie is the real culprit
• Anecdotal accounts of corvids picking up objects — including occasionally metallic items — are real and have been told and retold
• The general fact of corvid neophilia (interest in novel objects) and object manipulation is correctly observed, even if the "attracted to shine specifically" detail is not accurate
• Confirmation bias: people remember the times a corvid picked up something shiny; they don't record the many times corvids ignore shiny objects

The belief may also conflate corvid neophilia with specific shiny-object attraction — the former is documented, the latter is not.^1,4

Captive Ravens and Anecdote

[science] Captive ravens are known to manipulate shiny objects in human care settings — keys, coins, foil — but captive environments are highly artificial. Objects become interesting through novelty and human attention, not necessarily because of intrinsic shininess. Anecdotes from keepers of captive ravens are plentiful but do not constitute controlled experimental evidence. Captive behaviour also differs substantially from wild behaviour.²

Summary: What Is and Is Not True

• True: Ravens manipulate and explore objects extensively
• True: Ravens (and corvids generally) are neophilic — interested in novel items
• True: Ravens cache objects (food primarily; occasionally others)
• Not supported: Ravens (or corvids generally) have a specific attraction to shininess
• Not supported: Ravens preferentially steal shiny items over equivalent dull items