Why do birds walk differently?
Most birds that often live in trees jump and walk. This is because jumping on a tree is faster, more stable and easier than walking step by step. Over time, these birds have evolved legs and feet that can jump efficiently.
Birds with short legs and light weight mostly use small jumps to travel. Because they have short legs, if they walk step by step, the steps are too small, not as big as the jump, and the energy consumed by the small jump is less than that of walking.
However, some small birds living in the water, such as water birds, even though their legs are short, they move slowly on the water surface in a walking way. After all, the water surface is not as stable as branches or land.
Birds that nest and forage on the ground move more with alternating feet, such as pheasants and grouses. This is because the alternate walking method is conducive to their running, in order to catch up with fast-moving prey.
In addition, some birds can both jump and run, such as thrush. If the jump cannot catch up with the prey, the thrush will switch to running mode and run to chase the prey.
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