I Didn’t Know That. . .

Q: Why do some birds walk and others hop?

A: Actually, the question should be why do some birds hop and others run, because both are ways of moving fast on the ground, according to biologist R. McNeill Alexander of the University of Leeds in England. Typically, large birds such as chickens, turkeys and ostriches walk when moving sedately and then run to move faster. Smaller birds, such as finches, sparrows and crows, tend to hop. The general rule, Alexander says, is that the more time a bird spends in trees, the more likely it is to hop because that is a more efficient way of moving among branches.