Foot preferences during resting in wildfowl and waders.
Footedness in birds has been reported, e.g., in parrots and chickens, but the direction of footedness remained unclear. Is a bird left-footed because it uses its left foot for holding and handling food, or is it right-footed because it uses the right foot for stabilisation and balancing while perching? In 2004 and 2006 I examined footedness in wildfowl and waders while the birds were performing a single task: roosting on the ground on one foot. Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), northern shoveller (Anas clypeata), oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus), and Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata) were right-footed. Another 21 species did not show any significant foot preferences. This study provides some evidence that asymmetries in preferential foot use in birds may be triggered by a preference during postural control.
Randler
Christoph
C
University of Leipzig, Institute of Biology I, Leipzig, Germany. Randler@uni-leipzig.de
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D005528:Foot; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology