Do Birds Forget Where They've Hidden Their Winter Supplies Of Food?

Blue jays certainly do. They take seeds or chunks of suet off into the woods to hide them and can’t seem to remember the hiding places a few days later.

The Swedish nuthatch, on the other hand, is just the opposite. These birds rarely forget where anything is hidden. They make up caches of food long in advance of winter. When the cold season arrives and food becomes scarce, the nuthatches go in search of their reserves.

Studies have shown that these small birds find almost all of their hidden food supplies, even when the hiding places are completely covered with deep snow.