The claims of the actual paper are much more nuanced and not anything near how the BBC headline frames it. I think this is more a case of bad science reporting than bad science.

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/46/12/e1307252026

Bird law in this country is not governed by reason

Appending the ‘big’ from e.g. Big Tobacco/Pharma/Sugar to unlikely things is one of my favourite occasional jokes. I especially appreciate the double joke with Big Bird :)

Sesame Street belongs to the people!