Tug of War
Posted by Pat on October 5, 2002
Q: I observed a Robin on woodland trail,move from one side to another in a zig-zag fashion is this common among this species.
A: Pat
It's very common for a bird like a Robin to forage (look for food) in an erratic fashion. I haven't seen research on this but have always assumed that their search is more successful if they move about in a random way. Might be fun to observe some Robins in various situations to see if this is a common behavior. Of course, the bottom line is for the Robin to forage in as efficient manner as possible - the most food for the fewest calories expended.
John Wiessinger ( October 6, 2002)
Filed under: Birds