Birds Walking

[interele]

This is a really off beat question, but here goes!

Why do some birds bob their head when they walk and some don't.
Stupid question, I know, but it's bugged me for ages !

M

[douglas9401]

Braces too tight?

[Atheist]

Ande, why do some walk and some hop? Did dinosaurs do the same?

[gness]

Theory is, Interle that some birds bob their heads to stabilise their vision.....we do it with eye movement...they do it by head bobbing......
Why some and not others? I don't know.....x

[Tilly2]

Which birds are head bobbers? Can you be more specific, Interelle?

[haras2]

They each have their own individual gait so that birders can
identify them either because they are too far away or, as in my case their sight isn't what it was.
Seriously, to answer it properly I think would take a Ph.D investigation because of all the complications of evolution, habitat and diet etc.

[gness]

Interesting question which set me googling. Came across an article...
Head bobbing of walking birds. By....wait for it.....
Reinhold Necker!

[ladybirder]

A Dipper bobs doesn't it if I remember correctly?

[mightymouse]

Great question to ask James O'Brien on his LBC Radio show on Thursday at noon.

[Toorak]

Or the Guardian ‘notes and queries’

[wolf63]

Here is an experiment about this

[seekeerz]

With the hens I'd say it was a balance thing!!

[Hopkirk]

Is it a bit like us moving our arms while walking? A balance and momentum thing.

[waterboatman]

It's all about balance.

[Eleena]

Reinhold Necker! ;0)
https://www.simplemost.com/birds-move-heads-walk-now-know/

[waterboatman]

Just shows what I know...or not, dunnit!

[Eleena]

Birds with little legs don't Bob, there you go! :0)

[Eleena]

There's a whole article on the ' head bobbing of walking birds' within the link there, might have to go back and read that later!

[waterboatman]

Me too.

[Eleena]

Looks like a download but will be interesting, good question interele!

[Chipchopper]

I think its a lot to do with judging distance