(CNN) Perhaps puffins aren't as bird-brained as previously believed.

A team of animal experts observed two Atlantic puffins, more than 1,000 miles apart, spontaneously scratching themselves with sticks -- the first time wild seabirds have been spotted using tools, according to new findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

It's exciting for a few reasons, author Annette Fayet said: It could mean wild birds are capable of using tools and have a reason to use them. Animals who use tools typically have higher cognitive abilities.

What's more, the birds exhibited the same behavior on different islands -- so while it may be rare for the swollen-chested birds to scratch themselves with branches, the behavior isn't restricted to a single population.

"Seabirds' physical cognition may have been underestimated," the authors wrote.

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