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Foot preferences during resting in wildfowl and waders
- Source :
- Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition. 12:191-197
- Publication Year :
- 2007
- Publisher :
- Informa UK Limited, 2007.
-
Abstract
- 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.
Details
- ISSN :
- 14640678 and 1357650X
- Volume :
- 12
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....f13b57ae48eecf566d51bc57bc175f67