What Pigeons Are Doing When They ‘Bob’ Their Heads

Mind Flicker HQ explained what pigeons are actually doing when they appear to bob their heads while walking. They hold their heads still to stabilize their vision while their bodies move forward, then rapidly thrust their heads ahead to repeat the cycle.

When a pigeon moves, its body moves forward but the head briefly stays locked in place, still for a fraction of a second and then its head shoots forward into a new position, freezes again and the body catches up…that pause gives the bird a stable image of the ground, the food, the threat, the world.

Why Birds ‘Bob’ Their Heads