# A Question About Avian Gait **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 10, 2022, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-avian-gait/960849 "2022-03-10T21:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2022, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-avian-gait/960849/1 "2022-03-10T21:24:55Z")
When pigeons walk, they [bobble](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WV5DfDeCZI) their head forwards and backwards with every step. Other birds do it too. But by no means all: [sparrows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SFRbylUDqM) and tits don’t. So first I wondered if this was because sparrows and tits jump like kangaroos while pigeons put one leg in front of the other a bit like we do. But then I saw a [roadrunner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LS2Or7A5rY) walking (and running) and they don’t bobble. Ostriches [sometimes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1d_vEdXkaU) do, but [not always](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ0Ex4Xp3gM). [Ducks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZVF0VS0VNQ) don’t bobble either. But [crows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83nM5JamGEw) and [ravens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzw0PmavJac) do. [Chickens](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3FvkwGcWtU) do too, of course. Why? Are there two lineages of birds, one that bobbles and one that does not? And if so: did dinosaurs bobble, and some birds have abandoned that way of locomotion? Or did some birds gain it later, while some have kept the ancient, dinosaur bobble-less style? Are there other animals, apart from birds, that exhibit a similar behaviour? ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-avian-gait/960849/2 "2022-03-15T21:07:18Z")
No traction at all. I miss **Colibri**. Who curates critters now? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-avian-gait/960849/3 "2022-03-15T22:02:59Z")
We’ve been [wondering about this since 1979](https://www.straightdope.com/21341209/why-do-pigeons-bob-their-heads). [And more recently.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-pigeons-bob-their-heads/600718) I miss Colibri too. ---
**Author:** ![Kedikat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed655f/32.png) [@Kedikat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kedikat)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-avian-gait/960849/4 "2022-03-16T01:41:00Z")
Interesting. Your note that hopping birds don’t bob their heads makes me think. Most animals including us, generally move more than two limbs when moving. So we can substitute bobbing our heads for counter action and balance, by the movement of our other limbs. Four legged animals do it as a more direct mode with their actual walking limbs. Humans do it with swinging our arms. But it would be quite a bit more awkward and energy poor for a bird to stretch out and waggle there wings as they walked. I think birds also use tail movements as they walk to balance. It does seem a bit slight. The bobbing of a pigeons head to counter balance. But maybe it blends in with other less obvious things to get the job done. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-avian-gait/960849/5 "2022-03-16T07:21:18Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Are there two lineages of birds, one that bobbles and one that does not? [Hmmm.](https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/zoology/item/why-do-pigeons-bob-their-heads-when-they-walk/) > [@](#): > > Chickens bob their heads while walking. So do cranes, magpies and quails. In fact, head bobbing is a unique feature in birds and occurs in at least 8 of the 27 families of birds. […] > > However, most studies suggest that birds in motion bob their heads to stabilize their visual surroundings. In comparison, we rely more on our eye movements, not our head movements, to catch and hold images while in motion. Apparently the jury is still out on all the details.