Black-capped chickadees are a well-known model species in the field of neuroscience for their neural mechanisms in song vocalization, plasticity, and memory. Black-capped chickadees are different from other species in the larger group of songbirds because they are characterized by food-caching behaviors. Due to this behavior, chickadees can be described through their remarkable spatial memory. Seasonal changes in hippocampal densities have been described since 1994 where neuronal survival peaks during the fall (October), measured by thymidine (see tracking neurogenesis below) labeled cells, weeks after injection. When compared to non-food caching birds such as the house sparrow, chickadees had significantly more hippocampal neuron recruitment from fall to spring. The changes in hippocampal density is directly associated with increased hoarding behavior, especially during the winter when better spatial memory maximizes their survival.
