You must have seen birds standing on their one leg and wondered why most of the birds prefer to stand on just one leg, when balancing the body on two legs is more comfortable than resting on single leg. If you ask people about this strange behavior of birds, you’ll come across different theories, some logical and other unreasonable.
Among several theories, emerged over the years, one states that resting on one leg eases the other leg and it also helps in getting in to the motion and quick takeoff, in case of a danger. There is another interesting theory, which shows the shrewdness of birds. According to this theory, standing on two legs may attract predator and birds could become an easy aquatic prey, so they prefer to stand on one leg, which looks a lot like a suspended branch in water.
Last but not the least, the heat conserving theory about this one-legged behavior in birds appears most logical or scientific in comparison to the rest. According to this theory, birds stand on one foot more at freezing temperatures than at warmer temperatures to preserve as much body heat as possible, as they need a lot of energy during take offs and long flights. Therefore, when fishing in cold waters or searching for food in snow clad areas, birds usually stand on one leg.
