Head-bobbing behavior in walking whooping cranes (Grus americana) and sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis)
Journal of Ornithology
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Abstract
Head-bobbing is a common and characteristic behavior of walking birds. While the activity could have a relatively minor biomechanical function, for balance and stabilization of gait, head-bobbing is thought to be primarily a visual behavior in which fixation of gaze alternates with a forward movement that generates visual flow. We studied head-bobbing in locomoting whooping cranes (Grus americana) and sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis), using food strewn on the ground to motivate them to walk or run. When the cranes walked, head-bobbing proceeded in a four-step sequence that was closely linked to the stepping cycle. The time available for gaze stabilization decreased with travel speed, and running cranes did not head-bob at all. As a crane extended its bill towards the ground for food, it also exhibited a series of short head-bobs that were not associated with forward travel. Head-bobbing is a flexible behavior that varies with gait and with visual search, most notably as the cranes prepare to strike with the bill.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Head-bobbing behavior in walking whooping cranes (Grus americana) and sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) |
| Series title | Journal of Ornithology |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10336-007-0199-0 |
| Volume | 148 |
| Issue | 2 Supplement |
| Year Published | 2007 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Springer-Verlag |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 7 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Journal of Ornithology |
| First page | 563 |
| Last page | 569 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |