Spatial cognitive behavior of pigeons induced by electrical stimulation in specific marked area

Electric stimulation has become an essential neuroscience technique in various research fields ranging from basic research to neural prosthetics, and it is introduced into the spatial cognitive research. This study used electrical stimulation as a cue to construct spatial cognition towards a specific area marked with a circle for pigeons. Simply put, in a space evenly filled with food, pigeons can only forage within the marked area. If pigeons leave the area, their FRM (formation reticularis medialis mesencephali) area will be stimulated. After pigeons formed stable spatial memory towards the marked area, the mark will be changed includes area reduction, shape change, mark removal, and location moving to further investigate the changes in behavior in the newly marked area. The results have shown that the electrical stimulation can enable pigeons to form stable spatial cognition for the marked area within about a week. Furthermore, the spatial cognition of pigeons may be influenced by both external environment and internal memory, where internal memory helps pigeons determine approximate location, while the mark in external environment provides reference for them to accurately judge the boundaries of area. These results may have a certain promoting effect on research into the spatial cognition of birds.