Biro studies social behavior, problem solving, and learning in birds and primates, with particular attention to processes that support living in groups. She uses techniques such as
field observations and technologies such as
GPS tracking,
accelerometry,
camera trapping, artificial intelligence software for chimpanzee facial recognition, and
mathematical modeling. Biro studies the impact of individual differences in two major systems of behavior: social learning and group decision-making in the navigation of homing pigeons, and cultural learning among wild chimpanzees. Through a series of studies at Oxford, Biro has examined how homing pigeons change their navigation behavior and learn new routes. Birds prefer individual routes After 12 flights, pigeons tended to fix their route. While pigeons may gradually shorten their routes over time, they are more likely to do so after a new "naive" bird is paired with a bird that has flown the route before. The introduction of a newcomer increased the time spent on exploration and resulted in the collective learning of better routes. In 2020, Biro and others reported the first observations of tool use in seabirds, after
Atlantic puffins at breeding colonies in Wales and Iceland were observed spontaneously using small wooden sticks to scratch themselves. In other work Biro has suggested that tool use is more likely to scaffold learning if the tools themselves are durable. ==References==