Stupid walking pigeons!?

Question

I have observed that pigeons bob their heads when they walk in a most rediculous manner, the faster they walk the more frantically they bob! How can they see where they are going? Has anyone else made this observation or even been this flipant in zoology! xx

Answer 1

I did have a long answer to this, but yahoo answers doesn't seem to want to accept it being pasted in.

Some birds head-bob and some birds don't, some birds do only when displaying certain behaviours and some do it most of the time.  Experiments have been done into this using pigeons and the findings are briefly outlined below.

-Blindfolded pigeons do not head-bob

-If you hold a pigeon and move it forward it will head-bob

-Pigeons on a treadmill do not head-bob and do not fall over

Therefore head-bobbing:

- is a response to forward movement

- is a response to visual cues

- is not due to walking movement (but is synchonised when walking)

- is not required for ballance

Theories for the purpose of head-bobbing include.

- clarity of vision when moving (think of ballet dancers head movements when pirouetting (sp?))

- depth perception with monoscopic vision (look up motion parallax)

(all info came from the paper below)

Answer 2

it happens due to muscle contraction when they walk. they dont look as stupid walking as u would trying to fly!

Answer 3

They walk pigeon toed...something connected to their neck...when they walk...makes their heads bob.

Bob bob a ran......

Chase a pegeon and see how fast it bobs.....

he he he......

Answer 4

the flying sxxx machines should be eradicated.

Answer 5

You may think them stupid but I bet if someone took off your blindfold in County Cork Ireland you couldn't find your own way home in a few hours under your own steam.

*** Sorry I see you are new to this. I could be nicer to you. You pose an interesting question/observation.

Answer 6

YOU SHOULD GET OUT A BIT MORE M8TY

Answer 7

pigeons always have one bad foot almost every one i see has had a bad foot that probs why they walk funny

Answer 8

LOL Well you know they can't roll their eyes back and forth, plus the eyes are on opposite sides of the head; so they need to wobble their heads to get a good 3D picture of their surroundings.