The dinosaurs that gave rise to birds possessed so-called hyperinflated brains even before the evolution of flight. The visual centers of their brains had already expanded to control the enlarged eyes and superior vision they used to avoid collisions while jumping from tree to tree, as had the regions of the brain used to process sound and coordinate motion. The avian brain evolved to deal with the sophisticated level of neurological and muscular coordination required to explore new niches and escape predators. In other words, bird brains came before birds, just as feathers did.
