Saccadic eye movements are coordinated with head movements in walking chickens

ABSTRACT Saccadic eye movements during walking were studied in chickens using cinematography. Saccades were made during about 80% of the thrust phases of head bobbing, and not made in the hold phases. The coordination of saccades with head movements maintains clear vision for the largest possible proportion of the time. The absence of saccades in hold phases and in some thrusts is probably not the result of insufficient time to organize a saccade.