Brain wave that helps hungry birds By Auslan Cramb, Scotland Correspondent Original text

SMALL birds that hoard food grow larger brains in the autumn to help them to remember where it is stored, research suggests. Scientists believe that a seasonal increase in an area of the brain called the hippocampus allows birds such as coal tits to remember the location of up to 100 pieces of food every day. Dr Sue Healy, of Edinburgh University, says the phenomenon also allows birds to remember what they have stored in each hiding place. In tests, coal tits and marsh tits returned first to their favourite, fresh foods such as meal worms and left the longer-lasting peanuts until last. Dr Healy's research shows that the birds' memory for colour does not change during the year, while their memory of space - where things are - changes considerably. Unlike the larger great tits, coal tits are not able to eat large quantities and store the fat on their bodies, as it would slow them down and make them vulnerable to predators. Instead, they put food in different places. Dr Healy said: "They never use the same hiding place twice, which shows they have an enormous capacity for remembering locations." She said the same phenomenon may exist in crows and magpies.