Some birds are widely recognized as intelligent – crows and parrots for example. The bigger ones, including ostriches, emus and rheas, are thought to be less intelligent due to their small relative brain size.

But a new study suggests these birds can learn through exploration and trial-and-error. The study, published in Scientific Reports, provides the first evidence of technical innovation in palaeognath birds, hinting that problem-solving abilities may have evolved earlier in birds than previously thought.

Researchers tested whether these birds could solve a foraging problem using a rotary puzzle – a wheel that had to be turned to access food. While emus and one rhea successfully figured out the task, ostriches did not.

One rhea even discovered an alternative solution by removing a bolt to reach the food. The findings open new avenues for studying bird cognition and how different species develop innovative behaviors.

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