Video: City birds 'have it all', being healthier AND smarter than their country cousins, according to new research
And the reason is having to fit in with the mod cons of a human environment - which boosts their health and intelligence.
This includes learning how to open drawers to access food and developing bolder behaviour than they would in a rural area with fewer people. In the first study of its kind scientists found urban birds have the edge by needing to adapt to exploit new resources. They identified clear differences in problem solving abilities such as associative learning, linking a cure to a particular outcome, and innovative problem solving which is considered to be even more useful in the ‘real life’ of wild animals.