Researchers have claimed that birds have 'mental barcodes' to remember where they stashed food - similar to the computer hash codes used in the blockchain.

In a study published in the journal Cell on March 29, scientists shed light on how small birds, chikadees, encode and retrieve memories of stashed food, revealing the existence of unique neural barcodes associated with each caching event.

Led by Dmitriy Aronov from Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute, the study looked at the intricate workings of the hippocampus, the brain region crucial for storing episodic memories.

By closely monitoring chickadees as they cache and retrieve food items, researchers observed distinct patterns of neural activity in the hippocampus, akin to barcodes, linked to each caching event.

Dmitriy Aronov said: 'Each memory is tagged with a unique pattern of activity in the hippocampus. These patterns are extremely specific labels of individual memories, resembling barcodes.'

The team said the discovery challenges previous assumptions about memory encoding, particularly regarding the role of place cells - neurons that respond to specific locations.

While place cells remained relatively stable, the researchers found that neural barcodes associated with caching events were distinct and sparse, involving only about seven per cent of hippocampal neurons.

They said the implications of the findings extend beyond ornithology, offering potential insights into memory mechanisms in other species, including humans.

The researchers likened the hippocampal barcodes to computer hash codes, suggesting they may facilitate the rapid formation and storage of diverse memories without interference. The blockchain uses hash codes for sets of data.

Future studies aim to address these questions by examining brain activity in chickadees as they navigate complex environments and make decisions based on cached food locations.