https://phys.org/news/2018-10-dont-birds-fall.html

Jumping robots that are highly agile and able to manoeuvre quickly through debris are extremely useful for exploring disaster zones such as earthquakes and floods.

To perform the standing start take-off that we often see birds do in nature, they have to lean so far forwards that their centre of gravity is well ahead of their feet. If they were to pause during this manoeuvre, they would simply tip forwards, fall over, and never take-off. But they don't. That's because the birds 'pitch' their bodies upwards during the take-off.