Biology
Spatial Memory and Cache Site Selection in Scatter-Hoarding Jays
Quick fact
Scatter-hoarding jays rely on the hippocampus, a brain region enlarged in food-caching species, to remember thousands of hidden food sites. Experiments show they can recall these locations with pinpoint accuracy, even months after caching.
Why this is interesting
A single Clark's nutcracker can hide up to 33,000 pine seeds in one autumn—and remember most of them months later. How does a bird brain pull off such an incredible memory feat?