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Birds standing on one leg (1 Viewer)

Nutcracker

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!
I was watching a Redshank today, standing as they so often do, on one leg; the usual explanation for this being to save energy. It was in a small but steep-sided gully in a mudflat, with the rising tide nearly reaching it.

When the tide did reach it, instead of putting its other leg down to walk out easily, it hopped up the gully side on its single exposed leg, and had to flap its wings vigorously several times to keep balance on the mud.

That surely uses more energy than putting the 2nd leg down and walking? What is it that so strongly favours its staying on just one leg, even when it is awkward for it to do so?
 
Nutcracker said:
. . .That surely uses more energy than putting the 2nd leg down and walking? What is it that so strongly favours its staying on just one leg, even when it is awkward for it to do so?
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Inertia under less than dire conditions, perhaps? Half-asleep with insufficient incentive to snap out of it. . .?
 
Hi,

Nutcracker said:
What is it that so strongly favours its staying on just one leg, even when it is awkward for it to do so?
Click to expand...

If it intends to keep resting on one leg, putting the other one down into the mud even for a moment might be inconvenient because the muddy foot would soil the plumage when the bird goes back to standing on one leg.

At least, that's what I was told motivates gulls to sometimes fly short distances with the legs extended. If they fly overhead, that sometimes provides the opportunity to see that the dangling feet are dark with mud ...

Regards,

Henning
 
Hauksen said:
Hi,

If it intends to keep resting on one leg, putting the other one down into the mud even for a moment might be inconvenient because the muddy foot would soil the plumage when the bird goes back to standing on one leg.

At least, that's what I was told motivates gulls to sometimes fly short distances with the legs extended. If they fly overhead, that sometimes provides the opportunity to see that the dangling feet are dark with mud ...
Click to expand...

Good point thanks - it is very gloupy mud there, so that would certainly happen!
 
Hauksen said:
Hi,



If it intends to keep resting on one leg, putting the other one down into the mud even for a moment might be inconvenient because the muddy foot would soil the plumage when the bird goes back to standing on one leg.

At least, that's what I was told motivates gulls to sometimes fly short distances with the legs extended. If they fly overhead, that sometimes provides the opportunity to see that the dangling feet are dark with mud ...Henning
Click to expand...

Very interesting. Makes a lot of sense. . .always nice to have positive explanations for puzzling pieces of behavior.
 
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This Golden Plover at the same site shows nicely the state of the mud there :eek!: :-O
 

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My theory is to think of it as the quicksand predicament sometimes humans get themselves into resulting in both feet stuck. If they attempt walking out it only worsens the problem, although there is a special technique to free themselves but most aren't aware of that technique.

OH my, what would a human pay for a pair of wings that would free them as sure death from dehydration sometimes approaches.
 
SeniorCitizen said:
My theory is to think of it as the quicksand predicament sometimes humans get themselves into resulting in both feet stuck. If they attempt walking out it only worsens the problem, although there is a special technique to free themselves but most aren't aware of that technique.

.
Click to expand...

SC...please tell us the technique, I've no idea what it could be, and now it's adding to my anxiety-list of 'things that could go wrong'!;)
 
Sancho said:
SC...please tell us the technique, I've no idea what it could be, and now it's adding to my anxiety-list of 'things that could go wrong'!;)
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The technique was on a Weather Channel program -" So You Think You Would Survive " - linked is the beginning but it looks as if one must possibly subscribe to see the full segment.

As I recall it was to gently move one foot up/down a few seconds then alternate .

https://weather.com/tv/shows/secrets-of-the-earth/video/the-science-behind-quicksand
 
ChrisKten said:
Read and memorise, Sancho ;)

http://mentalfloss.com/article/51826/how-escape-quicksand
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Thanks Senior Citizen and Chris! One less disaster-scenario to worry about (any advice on Brexit?;)) Funnily, I had always reckoned, with no scientific basis, that the way to deal with quicksand was to lie down...spread out the weight and stop moving.
I learned years ago from an Isaac Asimov book (Childhood's End) that if the tide goes out too far, run like hell to high ground. Never had to use that one either. Pretty boring life;).
 
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