Joann Merritt's Essays

Feats of Feet
March, 1992

Birds’ feet serve them for many more purposes than just walking and hopping. For example, they are also used in fighting, feeding, grooming, courtship and nest building activities. John K. Terres in the Encyclopedia of North American Birds establishes the fact that most birds don’t walk on their entire feet, they walk only on their toes with their heels in the air, a method called digitigrade. The visible joint above the toes that bends the opposite direction of man’s knee is the birds heel. Their knee joint bends forward just as ours do, but is hidden by feathers so that the part we see and call the birds leg is actually the tarsus, or instep, of its foot. Exceptions to this are loons and grebes whose legs and feet are set far back on their body making it difficult for them to walk on land. They walk clumsily on their entire foot which has a short flattened tarsus and lobed toes, but in the water they excel as foot-propelled diving birds.

Coots can run on water and they must have a running start before taking off from the water, ducks use their webbed feet to paddle, shorebirds rest and sleep standing on one foot and the Purple Gallinule’s long toes distribute his weight enabling him to walk on floating vegetation. Along with the towhees, several species of sparrows including Harris’ and White-throated, do the double scratch by jumping forward with both feet and then jumping backward turning over leaves and debris. Ground dwelling birds such as quail and turkeys scratch more sedately using only one foot at a time.

Birds groom their heads by standing on one foot while bringing the other foot forward, either in front of the wing or behind it. The sturdy feet of Prairie Chickens do a spirited Country Stomp during courtship rituals, male Turkeys have spurs on their tarsi which they use in fighting for dominance and the Burrowing Owl remodels an old burrow or constructs his own new one by loosening the soil with his beak and feet, then kicking the dirt backwards out of the tunnel.

Cattle Egrets dine on insects by perching on the backs of animals where the picking is easy, the Osprey catches fish with his feet, also hawks and owls seize prey with their strong feet and legs. The Snowy Egret feeds in shallow water by standing on one foot and using the other one to stir the water which startles his prey, bringing them into view. I have seen the beautiful Snowy Egret perform an enchanting ballet with exquisite golden slippers adorning his feet. He forms a graceful canopy with his wings as he pirouettes with grace and spirit, running swiftly through the shallows and then stopping to bend with effortless style as he retrieves his aquatic accolades.

A year ago Burr initiated a discussion of the drinking habits of quail and recently Andrew Patterson, a young Midland birder, posed the theory that dove do not use their feet to scratch for food. I had never considered this trait, nor had the people I questioned, so I enlisted the aid of friends, Jim and Jean Welch, who are backyard birders.

After long and careful observation, they reported that Mourning Dove pecked in the grass, pecked under the bird feeder and as our grandson, Clint, described the Dove’s manner of walking “They pecked at the air!” But did they scratch before pecking for their food? No, they did not! Andrew was correct. The Mourning Dove, behaving like the logo on the oldtime cleanser Bon Ami states “Hasn’t Scratched Yet”!

Dove wintering in Wisconsin and Michigan have lost their toes or entire feet from freezing, but were still able to survive since they don’t have to scratch for their food. Andrew’s observation, along with Mr. Terres’ abundant information prompted me to write about these feats that birds accomplish with their feet. However, in the northern Doves case, I suppose it should be Feats of NO Feet;. Besides that, I couldn’t let Frances’ Tale of Tails go unanswered!