11 January 2026
We could watch backyard birds all day, but when they land it happens so fast we don’t see the steps from head-first flight to feet-first landing. How do they do it?
In March 2025 Bob Kroeger captured stop-action stills of birds approaching his Cape Cod feeder. All the birds use similar steps on the way to landing. Black-capped chickadees are very fast. Larger birds take a little more time.
Here are Bob’s three shots of a female northern flicker coming in to land.
- Change body angle to upright position with feet out front.
- Use wings to put on the brakes.
- Feet first, ready to grab! At this point birds stop looking at the perch.
(slideshow photos by Bob Kroeger)
1. Changing body angle, feet front
Yesterday Cornell Lab of Ornithology posted super slow motion video of this very thing. Filmed in Massachusetts, watch these birds as they land: black-capped chickadee, tufted titmouse, blue jay, mourning dove, northern cardinal.
They make it look so easy!
Kate,
Those slow-mos are great! It is amazing how the chickadees spread their wings and tail so wide almost like a parachute to slow down so quickly.
Thanks for sharing.
Gene