UNDERSTANDING PIGEONS
Dear HIW, Could the reason why pigeons bob their heads be that it is a way to keep their head stationary to the ground so they can look for food while moving? Julian Wiseman
This is a good guess, and also an accurate one. Pigeons’ characteristic head bobbing is performed to stabilise their view of their surroundings. As a pigeon walks, it may look as though it is bobbing its head up and down, but it is pushing its head forward, in line with the ground. When it steps, its head is pushed forward and then held still as it waits for the body to catch up. During the time when the head is stationary, the bird has a moment to visually process its surroundings.
To discover the reasons for this trait, scientists carried out a treadmill experiment in 1978. When pigeons were placed on a treadmill, their visual surroundings remained the same. As they were still walking, but remaining stationary, they had no reason to constantly process their surroundings. For this reason, the pigeons analysed stopped bobbing their heads when walking on a treadmill.