Why do birds move like robots?

Question

Why don't they move smoothly like other animals or humans?

Answer 1

The birds that move this way don't have binocular vision; the eyes are on opposite sides of the head, so they have to keep turning their heads to get a clear view. Birds have excellent eye-sight and are fast-moving, so the movement looks jerky.
These birds are also prey animals (predators have both eyes facing forward; they do have binocular vision because they need to judge accurately the distance of the prey). Prey animals often hold still when they are not doing something specific, because it makes them harder to see. By moving jerkily and with brief pauses they make it harder for the predator to judge exactly where they are, or where they will be when the predator has had a chance to pounce.

Answer 2

In nature, what you gain on one end you lose on another. When birds developed flight, they had to sacrifice weight and strength, along with the ability to walk. Walking requires strong leg bones. Strong legs are only found on big birds that have strong wings to lift weight, like the raptors. A bird is not meant to walk but to fly, so it lost it's reptilian coordination to walk. It walks just enough to get the job done, but it's true element is the air.

Answer 3

no, but their where their femur and tibia/fibula is connected backwards opposed to mammals, if that's what you're talking about.