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Birds Hopping vs Walking

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Subject: Birds Hopping vs Walking
From:
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 17:12:34 +0800
Peter Pfeiffer asked :
> Why do Kookaburras hop about on the ground ? They look pretty stupid for
> such a large bird. I was watching one in our garden feeding on small
skinks
> and it struck me as wierd. I assumed they would walk around like Magpies.

This is a question that has occurred to me several times about the species
that occur at the Argyle Diamond mine in the Kimberley of WA.  The following
species hop :

Yellow-throated Miner, Brown Honeyeater, Grey-fronted Honeyeater,
Rufous-throated Honeyeater, (?all honeyeaters?), Double-barred Finch, Zebra
Finch, (?all finches?), Great Bowerbird


The following species walk :
Magpie-lark, Australian Magpie, Torresian Crow, all waders, all waterbirds,
Australian Bustard, all quails, all button-quails, all doves and pigeons,
Little Corella


Is it roughly a case of passerines hopping, and others walking??


Frank O'Connor


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