Today, I was watching the birds in my garden, and noticed something I must have seen thousands of times but taken for granted all this time.
Robins hop but Pigeons walk.
What determine the style of locomotion a bird species favours? Some quick online research threw up three factors that are thought to predispose a species to one mode or the other, although it is easy to find exceptions in each case.
1, Size A small short-legged bird may travel further for a given amount of energy by hopping rather than walking. But some big birds hop, e.g.Toucans, and some small birds such as Skylarks walk.
2. Family tree Birds that of closely related species tend to use the same form of locomotion. But while most members of the Crow family walk, Jays hop. And Emus and Penguins both walk but are not closely related.
3. Habitat Birds that live in trees and bushes can get about best by hopping from branch to branch as opposed to walking along branches and twigs. However Parrots often live in trees but walk, not hop. And Dunnocks (AKA Hedge Sparrows) seem to live mainly on the ground, but are hoppers.
Many birds can both hop and walk, and while I was watching my garden birds I noticed that Blackbirds fall into this category: our resident Blackbird ("Blackie" as we imaginatively call him) was hopping along and suddenly broke into a run.
Most of this information came from the sources below.
Bird Locomotion
Robins hop but Pigeons walk.
What determine the style of locomotion a bird species favours? Some quick online research threw up three factors that are thought to predispose a species to one mode or the other, although it is easy to find exceptions in each case.
1, Size
A small short-legged bird may travel further for a given amount of energy by hopping rather than walking. But some big birds hop, e.g.Toucans, and some small birds such as Skylarks walk.
2. Family tree
Birds that of closely related species tend to use the same form of locomotion. But while most members of the Crow family walk, Jays hop. And Emus and Penguins both walk but are not closely related.
3. Habitat
Birds that live in trees and bushes can get about best by hopping from branch to branch as opposed to walking along branches and twigs. However Parrots often live in trees but walk, not hop. And Dunnocks (AKA Hedge Sparrows) seem to live mainly on the ground, but are hoppers.
Many birds can both hop and walk, and while I was watching my garden birds I noticed that Blackbirds fall into this category: our resident Blackbird ("Blackie" as we imaginatively call him) was hopping along and suddenly broke into a run.
Most of this information came from the sources below.
https://www.newscientist.com/lastword/mg24833051-100-are-birds-that-walk-more-advanced-than-those-that-hop/
https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/why-do-some-birds-hop-and-others-walk