Why Do Birds Bob Their Heads When They Walk
Camila Farah
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The bob is actually an illusion scientists discovered in an experiment.
Birds have monocular vision so they have no depth perception. The legs are located pretty far astern and if it kept its head forward all the time it would. Some theories as to why they do this are to keep their balance or to provide depth perception but most scientists agree that the real reason for why chickens bob their head when they walk is to maintain an acute sense of their surroundings. Chickens as well as pigeons doves cranes magpie and quail among other birds appear to bob their heads when they walk.
It might help the bird walk. Then frame by frame they analyzed the movement of the birds head feet and bodies and. If they are looking at something while they are walking their necks will automatically adjust to all the bumps of stepping while our eyes usually do that. An example of this is driving in a car.
Birds on the other hand cant do this. Then the head shoots forward to catch up. In the same study as the treadmill experiment researchers filmed pigeons in their natural environment. It is a means of judging distances.
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Basically the back and forth head motion not exactly a bob helps it keep its balance when walking. The result is they keep their heads still as long as possible allowing them to see better and remain safer. When birds hop they hunch down then launch their heads and the rest of themselves forward. This isn t all that different from the head bob so it could be that the thrust step gives them extra forward motion while walking.
Instead of moving their eyes to keep something in centre vision they use their necks.
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