Avian ingenuity: from lab to field

We live in a rapidly changing world, in which the ability to respond flexibly to new challenges is more critical than ever. Innovation solving a new problem or applying a new solution to a familiar challenge is one particularly important behavior for allowing animals to adapt to shifting environments. From birds to fish to mammals, innovation is widespread throughout the animal kingdom and provides a valuable measure of how animals respond to change. Yet despite its importance, we know surprisingly little about the underlying causes of innovation, including how it varies among individuals and contexts. What makes some individuals more innovative than others, and when are innovations most likely to arise? Two bird species well known for their innovative capacities are the kea, a playful parrot from New Zealand, and the striated caracara, a bold and inquisitive falcon from the Falkland Islands. By presenting these birds with novel problems in the lab and the field we can gain new insights into which individual traits support innovativeness, whether it is facilitated by times of abundance or scarcity, and how it emerges and spreads among populations. Beyond advancing our understanding of the mechanisms underlying animal innovation, these studies can offer perspectives valuable to conservation, particularly in considering which animals are more resilient or at risk in the face of environmental change.