I’ve always wondered why geese (and duck) often stand on just one leg. So, I Googled it. Here’s what reference.com says:
Geese stand on one leg to help regulate their body temperatures. This stance is used in an attempt to help the geese conserve as much body heat as possible.
Like other birds, a goose does not have warm feathers covering its legs. This lack of insulation in the lower extremities causes a decrease in body temperature. A goose lifting one foot allows the lifted leg to be closer to the bird’s central body heat and warm feathers, which causes the body temperature to bump back up. This one-legged stance is rotated between legs, so each appendage has an opportunity to keep warm.
So there you have it. I learned something new today.
Thank you so much for that info. I have always wondered!!
Great info. Now I know.
By coincidence, our heron was standing on one leg as I came up to him today. Thank you for the research.
I’ve seen my heron standing on one leg occasionally. Now I understand why. They sure do have great balance for big birds.
Huh, I didn’t know that either. So, I learned something new today! Thanks for that. Your images are lovely.
I see my heron standing on one foot quite frequently too. Now I know why.
Here in San Diego, where there is a lot of fishing going on, we have quite a few birds which are forced to stand on one leg simply because they only have one leg. The other one got tangled up in fishing line, lost its blood flow, shriveled up, and fell of. So sad.
It is so sad to see all the animals who are maimed or killed at the hands of humans.