The rook was already described as an intelligent bird in an ancient fable. Scientists have now found out that these crow-like birds are actually that smart.

Fable
In the fable by the Greek poet Aesopus, circa 600 BC, a rook threw pebbles into a pitcher to make the water level rise. This eventually allowed the thirsty crow to drink.

Reality/ Fact
Scientists at Cambridge University and the University of London conducted tests with these rooks, the BBC reports. The rook was presented with a narrow cup of water containing a worm. However, in order to grab the worm with its beak, pebbles had to be thrown into the water. The bird figured out fairly quickly that the adjacent pebbles were the solution.