Why Some Birds Walk While Others Hop

All Things Birdie explained why certain birds walk while others only hop, and what factors determine this. The answer comes in three parts – size, primary environment, and activity. Small birds, such as sparrows, wrens, and finches, who are tree dwellers tend to hop around. Ground feeding birds, such as turkeys, pigeons, and crows, with longer legs tend to walk. Some birds will do both depending on circumstances.

Spend even a little bit of time watching birds and you’ll see that some birds hop, and others walk, and some do both. What’s the motivation behind these different forms of locomotion? How does it best serve their survival? We’ll discuss the hoppers, the walkers, and the hybrids who leverage both hopping and walking.