Motion scientists and zoologists at Jena University are studying the gait of birds. ... In the course of evolution many animals have developed the bipedal gait -- the ability to walk on two legs. "Birds are moving forward on two legs as well, although they use a completely different technique from us humans," Dr.

How do birds walk?

Their light bodies are easy to bounce into the air and they cover much more distance in a single hop than a walking stride from their short legs. For heavier birds, the extra load on their joints favours a gait that leaves one leg on the ground at all times. Plus, longer legs make walking faster.

What are birds walking called?

Hopping, of course, requires moving both feet simultaneously. When unconstrained by such a narrow perch, many birds walk or run using the alternating strides typical of most bipeds. Others, particularly small, arboreally inclined species, commonly hop. It is uncertain why hopping is more common in smaller birds.