David Sherry’s Lab at the Advanced Facility for Avian Research at Western University examines cognition, behaviour, and the brain of birds. Many birds solve unusual problems in nature. Food-storing birds create thousands of scattered food caches which they retrieve days to months later. Brood parasitic birds search for the nests of other species in which to lay their eggs. Migratory birds make thousand kilometre journeys using the earth’s magnetic field, celestial cues, and memory to navigate. Our research investigates how the remarkable behaviour of birds is accompanied by specializations in cognition and the brain that have evolved to solve the challenges birds face in nature. This research has led to new discoveries about cognition in the wild and raises new questions about the function and evolution of our own human cognitive abilities.
Contact: Dr. David F. Sherry sherry@uwo.ca
Advanced Facility for Avian Research, 1393 Western Road, Western University, London ON, Canada N6G 1G9
