The discovery that stem cells give birth to new glia and neurons in the adult brain provides a potential mechanism for structural repair and recovery of function following injury or disease. This study investigated injury-induced cell proliferation in the hippocampus and neighboring stem cell rich subventricular zone (SVZ). Following training on a one trial associative memory task, birds received a bilateral hippocampal lesion or sham surgery then three injections of BrdU (mitotic marker). A subset was perfused 24 hours later to assess short-term cell birth, while others continued behavioral assessment for six additional weeks. Hippocampal lesions resulted in an initial loss of spatial learning abilities, subsequent recovery of spatial learning by the seventh week post-lesion, and significantly more newly born cells in the hippocampus and SVZ. Such findings could indicate that injury-induced cell proliferation and incorporation underlies structural repair and recovery of function.