The June 1995 Natl. Geographic contains a tantalizing tidbit on bird brains
(not Gene and Roger:-)), specifically chickadee brains. Two researchers at
Rockefeller Univ. have apparently shown that chickadees grow new brain cells
each year during fall when they are storing food in large numbers of places,
apparently so they can remember where they put everything. They discard and
rejuvenate these areas of their brains each year, wild birds apparently
creating more new brain cells than captive ones (for obvious reasons). They
theorize that small birds need to have light brains, since less weight is an
advantage. Hence they can't afford to keep a lifetime's worth of stored
food cache memories. Needless to say, if we could figure out how they do
this, it could help with various brain disorders.

The only problem is, references to the studies are not given, only that the
researchers are Fernando Nottebohm and Anat Barnea. Teresa Michelsen
temi461 at ecy.wa.gov