Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
06:14
A Method for Investigating Change Blindness in Pigeons (Columba Livia)
Published on: September 7, 2018
Pigeons (Columba livia) plan future moves on computerized maze tasks
Hiromitsu Miyata1, Kazuo Fujita
1Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. himiyata@L14.mbox.media.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Animal Cognition
|February 8, 2008
Summary
Pigeons demonstrate planning abilities, adjusting actions in maze tasks even when goals change. This suggests cognitive planning may be more common in animals than previously thought.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive ethology
- Animal behavior
- Comparative psychology
Background:
- Planning is crucial for future behavior in humans.
- Limited understanding of planning in avian species.
- Investigating cognitive abilities in pigeons (Columba livia).
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine planning processes in pigeons.
- To determine the extent of foresight in avian decision-making.
- To explore cognitive capacities beyond immediate stimuli.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a computerized maze task with pigeons.
- Employed plus-shaped and shuriken-shaped mazes.
- Manipulated goal locations to assess adaptive planning.
Main Results:
- Pigeons planned at least one step ahead in maze navigation.
- Pigeons demonstrated the ability to adjust plans when goal locations changed.
- Evidence suggested pigeons could plan two steps ahead in familiar mazes.
- Birds planned initial direction before maze solving and corrected plans post-goal shifts.
Conclusions:
- Pigeons exhibit cognitive planning capabilities.
- Planning ahead is within the capacity of avian cognition.
- Planning abilities may be more widespread in the animal kingdom than presumed.
