For many people, pigeons - so familiar birds that sometimes you don't even notice their presence. However, on the Web, you can find many interesting facts about these birds, get acquainted with the original representatives of the Pigeon family and find out unusual facts about their behavior. If you are interested in the question why doves nod their heads when walking, we suggest finding the answer to it together.
Information about pigeons
Representatives of the genus of pigeons, and in particular the gray-winged individual, can be found on all continents. The genus includes 35 species. The domestication of the rock dove took place about 5-10 thousand years ago, the exact date is unknown.
Did you know? The most expensive pigeon - a representative of a sports breed with snow-white plumage - was sold at an auction in Britain for 132.5 thousand dollars.
The antiquity of the pigeon family is evidenced by images (figurines, coins, mosaics) relating to Mesopotamia, and the remains of a pigeon skeleton found in ancient Egyptian burials.
Our ancestors used these birds as a totem, a sacred bird, as a messenger for delivering mail, as well as for eating. Since that time, people have worked on breeding new breeds, and today domestic pigeons have about 800 of them. They differ in plumage colors, body size and shape, and purpose.
are divided into three large groups:
- decorative (flight).
Why do pigeons nod their heads when walking
If you look closely at how the birds move on the ground, you will notice that they walk in stride, constantly shaking their heads back and forth. There are several versions of why they do this, which belong to both scientists and ordinary people who love to observe the life of birds. We propose to consider each of them.
Did you know? Rock pigeons have excellent eyesight. This ability was used by rescuers in search operations of people on the water. As a result of experiments conducted in the 1980s in the United States, birds were able to find objects of search in 93% of cases, while rescuers failed in 62%.
First version
According to some people, this habit of walking is inherent in the blue-winged due to the fact that they have a well-developed sense of rhythm and ear for music, therefore, when they move, they swing to the beat of their movements. And since the pigeons - frequent inhabitants of noisy cities, where music often sounds on the streets, with such head movements they seem to dance to the beat of the music.
You may even notice that when you turn on the music, they become more fussy and restless, more actively moving from side to side and shaking their head. With excellent hearing, pigeons can hear sounds at lower frequencies that humans cannot. This can be the noise of the wind, approaching bad weather, etc.
This version, of course, belongs to the people, but bird watchers are inclined towards other explanations.
Second version
According to the second version, which already has scientific justification, moving in this way, the birds maintain their center of gravity. Since it is rather difficult to hold such a body on two thin legs, they also connect the head to the process of maintaining the center of gravity.
If you observe other representatives of birds, it turns out that larger individuals prefer to waddle, and small - move by jumping. A person, on the other hand, uses hand movements when walking to maintain the center of gravity.
Third version
The third version is the most convincing and clearly explains why the pigeon nods its head when walking. It turns out that this is due to the special structure of the organs of vision. Thus, the bird stabilizes the image, since it cannot move its pupils.
Stabilization occurs at the moment when the bird pulls its head forward and fixes it for some time in a motionless position, and then the whole body is "pulled" to the head.
This version was confirmed by an experiment in 1976. Scientist B. Frost forced the representatives of the family of pigeons to walk on a treadmill specially built for these purposes, which was placed in a transparent plexiglass cube.
The mention of pigeons is hidden in the most ancient books; For many years this bird has played a very important role in the life of people and states, being a fast and reliable way of transmitting information. She is beautiful and graceful, intelligent and trainable. Much seemed to be known about these birds, but some secrets have not yet been revealed. For example, the question of why pigeons nod their heads when walking still remains open. What is already known about this, read this article.
Several scientific versions
There are many versions, theories and guesses, among them there are several scientifically based ones that should be considered in more detail. Birds jerk their heads during movement, and not at rest. Is it so?
The first
The structure of the bird's body allows it to move slowly and gracefully on its two legs, and not waddle like many birds. All this thanks to the ability to balance with the neck. Head nods help maintain your center of gravity. 
The second
According to this theory, the reason lies in the structural features of the bird's eye. In pigeons, the pupil is motionless, and for a better view of the surrounding environment, they need to constantly twist their head. To confirm this hypothesis, a number of experiments were carried out, which can be found in more detail in a separate section.
The third
This version explains the reason why pigeons shake their heads while walking as follows: monocular vision is to blame.
Human visual capabilities are called binocular because both eyes are side by side, on the same plane, in front of the head. The fields of vision of the eyes intersect, and the person receives a three-dimensional visual image as a result.
He can orient himself well in space, like most representatives of the animal world (for example, predators).
In pigeons, the eyes are located on the sides of the head, and the intersection of the visual fields may not be at all (or it is catastrophically small). However, the pigeon's eye gets a wide side view, the radius of which, according to scientists, is 300 °. This means being able to see everything that happens from behind.
If you need to take a small object with monocular vision, the task becomes almost impossible. 
However, if you start to make progressive, insignificant vibrations, then the space around becomes three-dimensional (it is this information that enters the brain due to the short-term coincidence of different points of view with a slight delay in time).
Fourth
Another version of this interesting behavior is that the pigeon shakes or shakes its head to attract females during the mating season. Such characteristic movements may indicate that the male is ready to have offspring and is looking for a companion.
Important! The physiological process of moving the head of a pigeon is as follows: jerk - holding, which together form a forward movement. First, the head is thrown forward, then it freezes in a certain position. It is at this moment that the bird manages to consider its surroundings, and then the body catches up with its head.
Common myths
There are legends that pigeons got such a unique ability to move their necks from their distant ancestors - dinosaurs. It turns out that some representatives of these ancient people had such a motor reflex due to their long neck and relatively small torso.
There is a version that pigeons are insectivorous birds in the past, which evolved and preferred grass and seeds for food, and the reflexes to catch their prey still remain.
An interesting option is the imaginary ability of birds to dance. After all, this is exactly how some inhabitants explain their nods. They say that pigeons are musical and, while moving, love to sway to the beat of their own body vibrations. 
When the music is turned on, the amplitude of their oscillations increases (supposedly because of the love for the melody and the desire to dance).
Did you know? Wild pigeons can reach speeds of up to 185 km / h. Such individuals can live in their natural environment for up to 5 years, but poultry can live almost 7 times longer. Facts are known when certain individuals under human care lived up to 35 years.
What experiments say
In 1978, the Canadian scientist Frost was curious, and he decided to find out experimentally the cause of the nodding of pigeons. For the experiment, the pigeon itself and the treadmill were involved, on which it was hoisted in a transparent cube so that the bird could not fly away.
During the experiment, scientists learned that first the feathered one takes a step forward, and then its head moves behind the body. This allows the bird to see everything around it. When the experimental pigeon got used to the environment and walked on the treadmill as usual, he stopped nodding his head.
Pigeons are wonderful birds that never cease to amaze people with their talents, unique abilities and friendly character.
Pigeons have lived next to humans for over 5000 years. During this time, 800 breeds were bred. These are not just birds, they served us faithfully: they helped deliver mail, in some areas this was the only way to communicate news to loved ones. Despite the centuries-old history, feathered neighbors raise a lot of questions, for example, why do pigeons nod their heads when they walk? Everyone noticed it. Let's consider several options.
Ear for music
Amateur breeders, observing the animals, concluded that they have excellent hearing and a sense of rhythm. When they walk, they begin to move to the beat of the steps - to dance.
Moreover, if a pigeon hears music, it performs active actions: it walks in different directions, shifts more. For us it looks like a real dance. So this version appeared.
However, the theory has not been proven by science, these are only the assumptions of observant people. Therefore, we can neither confirm nor deny it, it has the right to exist. But bird watchers are leaning towards a different version.
This is due to their anatomy. Let's figure it out. Animals walk, on two legs, as we are on our feet. People use their hands to maintain balance, waving them without noticing it. And by the way, these strokes are regulated subconsciously: when necessary, they get more intense or have a certain angle of inclination.
The dove, in order not to fall, needs to hold balance... They do this with the help of the head, adjusting the position of the center of gravity.
We don't notice, but other birds do the same. For example, some predators are eagles or hawks. Only they do it more slowly, so we don't see. And the pigeon is a fussy, nervous bird, its movements are sharp. But - this is also one of the theories.
Features of vision
According to another version, the nods are due to the structure of the pupil: it cannot move to the sides, as in a person. It turns out that the feathered one looks only in front of him. To see what is happening to the right or left, he makes a "nodding" motion, thus stabilizing the image.
An experiment was conducted on this topic. The researchers forced pigeons to walk on a treadmill in a transparent cube. So nothing distracted them. After a while they got used to the situation and stopped nodding. The body and head were almost motionless in relation to their surroundings. The birds calmly walked on, because now the speed of their movement and path are the same... The animal no longer lags behind the surrounding world and does not need to nod, it sees and so.
This is the most scientific explanation known. However, scientists do not claim that their hypothesis is reliable. Variants are possible.
Mating games of pigeons
And the last known version assumes the peculiarities of the personal life of winged postmen: males attract the attention of girlfriends. But why then do the females nod? Apparently in reply.
Perhaps birds can do this when:
- Feel danger and try to communicate it to others;
- Feel changes in the weather.
These are, again, unsupported theories. Only observation and guesswork. It's amazing: for so many years of coexistence, people have not understood this riddle, but only made a few assumptions.
We are used to these birds, as we see hundreds of them on the street. But I never thought how amazing they are, just imagine:
- Their eyes are never blinded by a bright flash of lightning or sunlight. They can look directly at the light without turning away. The effect is obtained thanks to a special retina that can change its density as needed. It may become denser or more transparent;
- Their eye is able to perceive more frames per second than a human, about 75;
- Some species have specially shaped feathers that allow them to fly at very low altitudes. They have feathers that make sounds during flight, so they communicate in a flock;
- Some representatives are real acrobats: they can perform a whole series of somersaults not only in the air, but also on the ground;
- In our latitudes, there are mainly animals with dull gray-black plumage. But few people know that one of the species is one of the most beautiful birds on the planet. This asian fruit pigeons... They have a bright color: yellow breast, crimson head and greenish wings.
In the 12th century, winged postmen were prized over horses, as they knew how to deliver mail. People worshiped them, considered them a symbol of new life. Until now, the dove is a good sign, newlyweds and children are launched into the sky for good luck.
So, we can draw conclusions: no one knows exactly why pigeons nod their heads. So far, people cannot solve this secret, although they have learned to understand more complex things.
Now, perhaps you will not think that this is an ordinary animal and take a closer look at it with interest, or maybe you will finally understand their inexplicable behavior.
Pigeon walk video
In this video, Irina Fedorova will tell you several more versions of why pigeons have such a strange gait:
A selection from the Internet.
It is important for birds to see movement against the background of static objects. If their head is moving, then there is no static background = the probability of missing something deadly interesting in the process of movement is very high. Therefore, birds like a pigeon at each step leave their heads "in the old place", and then jerkily transfer them to a new one, thus minimizing the time during which they observe the blurred background.
My imha.
They have no hands, so they have to shake their heads.
Just the same muscle moves the head and leg - move the pigeon's paw - its head will twitch.
It's simple.
The neck is developed so that there is no arthrosis)
And the frost of the saddle on the street is here and shake the Schaub not to freeze))))
They do knuts ktuts ktuts
Food is pushed out of the goiter
Their eyes are fixed and they turn their heads to change the point of view.
They have a spring-loaded neck mechanism
They bend their heads so that the hooligans do not hit with a slingshot. An instinct developed by years of living in the city.
They are dancing
They like it so much
I remember that for focusing vision, like, in principle, a chicken
Always hungry and asking for food
For the same purpose for which you wave your arms - balance is maintained!
And the longest answer is: Why do pigeons nod their heads? At first, of course, the question is perplexing. To be honest, I never even paid attention to pigeons nodding. But later, thinking about it, I remembered - yes, nodding, and very much even. Why is that?
From the point of view of the Russian language, pigeons can only nod their heads. Judge for yourself - they flap their wings, they walk with their legs, and they shake their tail. Moreover, other birds, animals, and even people nod their heads, and nothing else.
Okay, this is from the point of view of the Russian language. Let's talk about biology?
Each person at least once in his life fed pigeons in parks, squares, and simply in yards. A relaxing activity that does not require any special efforts - throw bread to yourself, and throw it. You can think about your own, talk on the phone, watch the child playing, or just admire the birds.
So that's it. Very funny doves nod their heads, begging for another piece of bread. And they also nod when another pigeon, or, more often, a sparrow, tries to take this piece away. They drive away, they say, mine, do not touch, go, look for your own.
Well, and of course, one cannot fail to consider such a beautiful ritual as the courting of a dove for a dove that attracts him. How he fluffs up his feathers, how proudly he nurses around - his chest is a wheel, his eyes are burning. Not a dove, but an eagle, no less! And how charmingly his lady of heart is "embarrassed", presses her head to her shoulder, or even hides it under her wing, how slyly she glances at her gentleman with one glance. And, of course, the dove nods its head, as if encouraging its chosen one, and persuades not to be embarrassed.
So why is the dove nodding its head? So we have identified the main reasons:
And yet the question remains open: why is it that the dove is waving its head when it is hitting?
There are many oddities in our nature, which are sometimes very difficult for us to explain. It happens that we simply cannot understand certain features of the behavior of animals or birds. And one of these is the question, why do pigeons nod their heads when walking. Hardly anyone thought about it, but there must be a logical explanation for this. We will try to figure it out further.
The dove appeared many centuries ago, but until now no one has studied in detail all the mysteries that it keeps in itself. And one of these is the question why he nods his head when walking. After all, surely each of us noticed how the bird moves its body when walking along the street. There are a variety of theories that have been obtained scientifically or are the result of the observation of ordinary people. Although it cannot be said that they are all worthy of attention.
First of all, you need to understand that the pigeon nods its head exactly when it walks, and does not just stand still, and there are reasons for this.
Theory one
The most popular theory of why a pigeon shakes its head like that when it walks did not come from the works of scientists and researchers, but rather from society. There is an opinion that pigeons very clearly feel the rhythm and have an ear for music. And thus, when they walk, they sort of sway to the beat of their movements.
Moreover, if music starts playing somewhere nearby at this moment, then you can see a strange reaction of pigeons to this. They will begin to move more actively and walk from side to side. Some may say that they are simply worried, but some believe that the pigeons are dancing in this way.
Second theory
The next theory why this happens with pigeons when walking has scientific roots and comes from the anatomical structure of the bird. Everyone knows that they, like other birds, walk only on two legs. And if a person uses his hands in order to maintain a center of gravity, then pigeons have adapted to do this with the help of the head. Moreover, not only doves, but also eagles act in this way. Although in their case it is not so noticeable, because they move much more slowly and unhurriedly.
Third theory
The following theory is also related to the anatomy of the pigeon and explains quite clearly why such nodding occurs when the bird walks. The essence of this reason is that the pupil of a pigeon is built in such a way that it does not have the ability to move from side to side, like ours. And therefore, in order to see the road and the surrounding environment, the bird has to move its entire head. A similar theory was confirmed by an experiment in which pigeons participated. For this, treadmills were used, on which the bird was taught to walk.
It was found that such an anomaly consists of two phases. In the first, the bird takes a step, in the second it moves its head. And it is in the second phase that she has the opportunity to examine her surroundings and notice everything that moves around her. They also found out that when the speed of the track and the pigeon itself became the same, then he stopped nodding his head. Because they no longer lagged behind the world around them and could equally assess everything that was happening.
By the way, it is this version that is considered the most reasoned. And it has at least some facts.
Fourth theory
The most recent theory is more likely related to the personal life of the bird, because it is believed that with such nods, the bird attracts females during the mating season. This is also due to the attraction of the attention of other representatives of the "Pigeon" family. The people even compare them with popular singers, who also move their heads during performances and show their uniqueness. Of course, these versions can be considered popular, because there is still no scientific explanation of why this is happening.
And all this is happening despite the fact that the pigeons were bred more than five thousand years ago. And at the moment there are hundreds of breeds of this bird. Previously, it was used to convey important letters and news. And they did this because the bird is fed for training and can be easily taught the necessary skills. This testifies to her intelligence and ingenuity.
Which of these versions is closer, you choose. Perhaps you will become the one who can explain this fact in your own way.
Video "How doves move in a flock"
In the video below, you can see exactly how the birds move their heads when they walk.