WHY DO PIGEONS BOB THEIR HEADS WHEN THEY WALK?

The head-bobbing walk of pigeons has prompted many theories over centuries. Many authors have believed that, like a crank, there must be a physical connection between the bird’s head and feet. But perhaps the truth is stranger than folktales, as the bird is believed to use head bobbing to boost its eyesight, particularly as an aid in judging distances. Birds with sideways-looking eyes don’t have the benefit of stereo vision, so looking at the world from a single point of view seems very flat. But by bobbing their heads the birds are able to compensate for monocular vision by observing the world from slightly different positions, helping with depth perception. This will boost the attributes necessary for survival: finding food and avoiding predators.