👋 Welcome back to Myth Busting Monday on The Vet Vortex!
This is where we take those eyebrow-raising animal myths you’ve probably heard at the pet shop, in online forums or from that one know-it-all uncle, and put them under the microscope - sometimes literally.
Ever caught your parrot always grabbing that grape with the same foot? Or noticed your backyard chicken scratching the dirt more with one leg than the other? If so, you’ve stumbled onto one of the coolest “hidden quirks” of bird biology - avian lateralization.
Now, before you run off to make tiny bird sneakers labeled “L” and “R,” let’s bust some myths and unpack the science.
What Is Lateralization?
Lateralization is just a fancy word scientists use to explain how the left and right sides of the brain (and by extension, the body) prefer and become specialized for certain tasks.
- In humans? this shows up as being left or right-handed. About 90% of us are right-handed.
- In birds? Well… it’s a bit more feather-ruffling. It shows up as being left or right-footed, and sometimes even left or right-eyed.
The Myth: “Birds don’t have a foot preference.”
Wrong. Many birds do show a preference for using one foot over the other, just like us with our dominant hand. Scientists call this “footedness.”
In fact, studies in parrots, chickens, pigeons and even raptors have found clear patterns of left-foot or right-foot dominance.
How It Happens
Birds’ brains, like ours, are divided into two hemispheres. Each side controls the opposite side of the body (foot). For example:
- The left brain hemisphere (responsible for routine and detail) controls the right foot.
- The right brain hemisphere (big-picture and emotional) controls the left foot.
During early development (especially in the egg), factors like light exposure before hatching influence brain wiring. Chicks incubated with light shining on one side of the egg often develop stronger lateralization. That’s because light stimulation “primes” one eye and one hemisphere more than the other.
So in a way, a chick’s very first ‘window view’ of the world can shape how its brain wires itself, deciding whether it grows up a leftie or a rightie.
Why Does It Happen?
Evolutionarily speaking, lateralization is efficient. It frees up one hemisphere of the brain to focus on specific tasks. For birds:
- One side may specialize in precise motor skills (grabbing food, manipulating objects).
- The other side may specialize in vigilance (watching for predators).
That means while your cockatoo is skillfully holding and peeling a sunflower seed with one foot, the other half of its brain is scanning the room for any suspicious activity - like you sneaking in with nail clippers.
It’s nature’s way of multitasking.
My Personal Bird Tale
When I was doing my animal handling rotations, I had this feisty African Grey parrot patient named Chief. Chief had zero patience for most humans but he loved sunflower seeds. Every single time I gave him one, he’d snatch it with his left foot, hold it up like a trophy and glare at me as if daring me to try and take it back.
Meanwhile, my aunt’s old village hen (whom we lovingly called Madam Scratchy) always dug at the soil with her right foot. Watching her, I once joked she was the “Cristiano Ronaldo” of chickens - precision and power, but strictly one-sided!
These little quirks were my first personal glimpse into just how real “footedness” is in birds.
What Pet Parents Can Do
- Watch and Learn: Next time you give your parrot a snack or watch your chicken forage, note which foot they use first. Do it a few times - patterns will pop up.
- Mental Enrichment: Just like lefties and righties have different tricks, birds benefit from challenges. Offer food toys and perches that make them use both feet. It’s like “cross-training” for birds.
- Don’t Worry: Being left or right-footed isn’t a problem. It’s normal and actually a sign your bird’s brain is healthy and functioning well.
Fun experiment: Try offering food on different sides of the cage. See if your bird “cheats” to still use its dominant foot.
Things to watch out for
- Keep an eye out for sudden changes in your bird’s “favorite foot.” If your cockatiel that always eats with its left foot suddenly switches to the right or avoids using one foot altogether, it’s worth a vet visit.
- If your bird suddenly becomes “ambidextrous” in a clumsy way, stumbles on perches, or grips food awkwardly, don’t shrug it off. It may be more than just personality - it might need a vet check.
What Vets Know
- Detect Injuries Early - Vets often pay attention to foot preference during exams. Why? Because if a bird that normally favors one foot suddenly switches to the other, it could signal pain, arthritis or even an early injury that’s otherwise easy to miss.
- Behavioral Advice - We might suggest adjusting perch setups, toy placement, ladders or puzzle feeders to make sure your bird uses both feet, helping keep balance and prevent strain.
- Neurological Checks - A steady, consistent foot preference is normal. But if that pattern suddenly changes or becomes erratic, it could point to a neurological issue worth investigating further.
Treatment
There’s nothing to “treat” in normal lateralization, it’s a natural trait. Treatment only comes into play if:
- A dominant foot is injured.
- A condition like arthritis, bumblefoot or nerve damage forces overuse of the other foot.
In such cases, vets may prescribe rest, anti-inflammatories or environmental modifications.
Prevention
While lateralization itself isn’t a problem, pet parents should prevent secondary issues by:
- Using varied perch sizes to avoid foot sores.
- Encouraging exercise with both feet.
- Offering climbing opportunities that challenge balance.
Prognosis
- Normal lateralization? Perfect prognosis - your bird just has a quirk.
- Injury-induced change in foot use? Prognosis depends on the underlying cause but usually manageable with treatment.
Zoonotic Implications
Good news: None! Foot preference doesn’t affect disease transmission. The only thing you’ll “catch” is laughter when you realize your parrot is basically a “leftie.”
Busting More Myths
Did You Know?
- African Grey parrots are famously left-footed - most prefer grabbing food with the left foot.
- Cockatoos, on the other hand, lean more toward the right foot.
- In one study, up to 80% of parrots showed a strong foot preference, with left-footedness being the dominant trend.
- Even humble chickens display lateralization, often scratching the ground with the same foot repeatedly.
- Lateralization isn’t just for birds: cats, dogs, horses and even fish show paw, hoof or fin preferences!
So the next time you watch your bird snack or perch, you’re actually witnessing neurobiology in action
TL;DR
- Birds can be left or right-footed - this is called avian lateralization.
- It’s influenced by brain wiring and even light exposure before hatching.
- It helps birds multitask: one hemisphere for food, the other for vigilance.
- It’s perfectly normal, seen in parrots, chickens and many species.
- Watch your own bird, you might discover it’s a proud leftie or rightie!
- Not a health problem - just another quirky feathered fact.
Let's Chat
Next time you hang out with your bird, try this: give it a treat and film which foot it uses. Post it online with #TheVetVortex and tag us. I’d love to see if your bird is a leftie or a rightie!
Because who knows? Maybe the “handedness” debate isn’t just for humans - it’s for the birds too. 😉
Now it’s your turn!
- Is your bird a leftie, a rightie or one of the rare “switch-footers”?
- Do you notice the same quirk in your other pets (cats, dogs, even fish)?
I’d love to hear your stories - your feathered friend might just get a shoutout in a future post!
Check out previous post - Seasonal Allergy Incidence: A Global Data-Driven Look at Springtime Pet Reactions