Abstract
Many birds show a rhythmic forward and backward movement of their heads when they walk on the ground. This so-called “head-bobbing” is characterized by a rapid forward movement (thrust phase) which is followed by a phase where the head keeps its position with regard to the environment but moves backward with regard to the body (hold phase). These head movements are synchronized with the leg movements. The functional interpretations of head-bobbing are reviewed. Furthermore, it is discussed why some birds do bob their head and others do not.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arends JJ, Allan RW, Zeigler HP (1991) Organization of the cerebellum in the pigeon (Columba livia): III. Corticovestibular connections with eye and neck premotor areas. J Comp Neurol 306:273–289
Bangert H (1960) Untersuchungen zur Koordination der Kopf- und Beinbewegungen beim Haushuhn. Z Tierpsychologie 17:143–164
Cavoto BR, Cook RG (2006) The contribution of monocular depth cues to scene perception by pigeons. Psychol Sci 17:628–634
Cronin TW, Kinloch MR, Olsen GH (2005) Head-bobbing behavior in foraging whooping cranes favors visual fixation. Curr Biol 15:R243–R244
Daanje A (1951) On locomotory movements in birds and the intention movements derived from them. Behavior 3:48–98
Dagg AI (1977) The walk of the silver gull (Larus novaehollandiae) and of other birds. J Zool (Lond) 182:529–540
Davies MNO, Green PR (1988) Head-bobbing during walking, running and flying: relative motion perception in the pigeon. J Exp Biol 138:71–91
Dunlap K, Mowrer OH (1930) Head movements and eye functions of birds. J Comp Psychol 11:99–113
Friedman MB (1975) Visual control of head movements during avian locomotion. Nature 255:67–69
Frost BJ (1978) The optokinetic basis of head-bobbing in the pigeon. J Exp Biol 74:187–195
Frost BJ, Wylie DRW (2000) A common frame of reference for the analysis of optic flow and vestibular information. Int Rev Neurobiol 44:121–140
Fujita M (2002) Head bobbing and the movement of the centre of gravity in walking pigeons (Columba livia). J Zool (Lond) 257:373–379
Fujita M (2003) Head bobbing and the body movement of little egret (Egretta garzetta) during walking. J Comp Physiol A 189:53–58
Fujita M (2004) Kinematic parameters of the walking of herons, ground-feeders, and waterfowl. Comp Biochem Physiol A 139:117–124
Fujita M (2006) Head-bobbing and non-bobbing walking of black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus). J Comp Physiol A 192:481–488
Fujita M, Kawakami K (2003) Head-bobbing pattern, while walking, of black-winged stilts Himantopus himantopus and various herons. Ornithol Sci 2:59–63
Gioanni H (1988) Stabilizing gaze reflexes in the pigeon (Columba livia). I. Horizontal and vertical optokinetic eye (OKN) and head (OCR) reflexes. Exp Brain Res 69:567–582
Green PR, Davies MNO, Thorpe PH (1994) Head-bobbing and head orientation during landing flights of pigeons. J Comp Physiol A 174:249–256
Herzog K (1968) Anatomie und Flugbiologie der Vögel. Fischer, Stuttgart
Iwaniuk AN, Wylie DRW (2006) The evolution of stereopsis and the Wulst in caprimulgiform birds: a comparative analysis. J Comp Physiol A 192:1313–1326
Jimenéz Ortega L (2005) Avian visual perception: interocular and intraocular transfer and head-bobbing behaviour in birds. PhD Thesis, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany
Martin GR, Katzir G (1999) Visual fields in short-toed eagles, Circaetus gallicus (Accipitridae), and the function of binocularity in birds. Brain Behav Evol 53:55–66
Muir GD, Chu TK (2002) Posthatching locomotor experience alters locomotor development in chicks. J Neurophysiol 88:117–123
Muir GD, Gowri KSV (2005) Role of motor and visual experience during development of bipedal locomotion in chicks. J Neurophysiol 94:3691–3697
Necker R (2006) Specializations in the lumbosacral vertebral canal and spinal cord of birds: evidence of a function as a sense organ which is involved in the control of walking. J Comp Physiol A 192:439–448
Necker R, Janßen A, Beissenhirtz T (2000) Behavioral evidence of the role of lumbosacral anatomical specializations in pigeons in maintaining balance during terrestrial locomotion. J Comp Physiol A 186:409–412
Nye PW (1969) The monocular eye movements of the pigeon. Vision Res 9:133–144
Pettigrew JD, Wallman J, Wildsoet CF (1990) Saccadic oscillations facilitate ocular perfusion from the avian pecten. Nature 343:362–363
Pratt DW (1982) Saccadic eye movements are coordinated with head movements in walking chicken. J Exp Biol 97:217–223
Rochon-Duvigneaud A (1943) Les yeux et la vision des vertébrés. Masson, Paris
Troje NF, Frost BJ (2000) Head-bobbing in pigeons: how stable is the hold phase? J Exp Biol 203:935–940
Van der Willigen RF, Frost BJ, Wagner H (2002) Depth generalization from stereo to motion parallax in the owl. J Comp Physiol A 187:997–1007
Wallman J, Letelier J-C (1993) Eye movements, head movements, and gaze stabilization in birds. In: Zeigler HP, Bischof HJ (eds) Vision, brain, and behavior in birds. MIT, Cambridge, pp 245–263
Walls GL (1963) The vertebrate eye and its adaptive radiation. Hafner, New York
Whiteside TCD (1967) The head movement of walking birds. J Physiol (Lond) 188:31
Wohlschläger A, Jäger R, Delius JD (1993) Head and eye movements in unrestrained pigeons (Columba livia). J Comp Psychol 107:313–319
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Necker, R. Head-bobbing of walking birds. J Comp Physiol A 193, 1177–1183 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-007-0281-3
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-007-0281-3