In lab experiments, Jean-Nicolas Audet, a biologist at Montreal’s McGill University, tested the problem-solving skills of finches captured from rural and urban areas.
Turns out, the city birds can see food inside a semi-transparent plastic box, and could access it by opening the lid or pulling a drawer.
In both experiments, they performed better at getting the food, according to a 2015 study in the journal Behavioral Ecology.
As scientists dig deeper into how animals adapt to city living, they're also starting to ask whether they’re actually evolving in response to this new environment.
It could be a case of extremely rapid evolution or the species we see thriving in cities are those that already had adaptations that make them more likely to succeed in such a setting.
Whatever the case might be, 'Animals in the wrong places' shouldn't run out of content anytime soon!
