Initially, pigeons settled in the mountains, on the banks of ponds, and with the advent of cities, roofs, technical floors, and “pockets” of houses for living were chosen. Watching birds every day, you rarely think about their habits or amazing physiological characteristics. In particular, few people know why the pigeon nods when walking, and does it all the time.
The main hypotheses
A lot of specialists studied the presented question, but the bird watchers failed to come to a consensus. There are several versions of the strange physiological features of pigeons - nodding when walking. The most relevant among them are:
- the presence of sensitive hearing;
- body structure;
- flirt.
It is scientifically proven that pigeons have a sensitive hearing. As a result, when walking, they perceive sound from their own steps, and shaking their heads sets the rhythm for movement. The theory seems unlikely, since this physiological feature in birds persists even on a noiseless type of coating, for example, on grass.
Interesting fact: If the pigeon turns on the music, he begins to search for a sound source, shaking his head from side to side. Some birds even move to the beat of the melody. Parrots, owls, eagles behave similarly.
The anatomy of the pigeon is such that it invariably walks on two legs, which should hold the solid mass of the bird's body.In order not to lose balance, during the evolution of pigeons an additional opportunity appeared to balance in space with the help of nods.
The version looks implausible, because in a static position this species of birds ceases to make head movements, although the body weight continues to affect the legs.
Another theory is related to mating games. It is no secret that the male, in an attempt to please the female, spreads its plumage, walks after it, makes characteristic sounds. A nod of the head becomes one of the manifestations of personality, according to which the female chooses her "boyfriend". The theory is partly true, since the physiological feature is preserved in the ordinary life of birds, not only in the mating season.
Version of ornithologists
After careful ornithological study, it was found that pigeons nod their heads when walking due to the anatomical structure. To perceive the picture of the world, the bird's eye must remain motionless. A movement of the head helps maintain a static vision, which makes it possible to notice danger in time or find food.
The correctness of the theory was proved practically during the experiment. The pigeon was placed on the treadmill, and when moving its paw forward, his head made exactly one nod. With the acceleration of movements, the nods became proportionally larger. However, when the speed of the simulator and the pigeon was equal, the bird stopped nodding. In this case, the picture of the world for the bird was static.
Thus, the pigeon nods when walking due to the anatomical structure.The bird's eye must be in a static position, otherwise it will not be able to perceive the picture of the world. As a result, when walking, the feathered head lingers a bit, and then catches up with the body. The statement that males nod their heads during the mating season in order to please the female is also justified.
