I think Brian has hit the nail on the ehad.
Some - perhaps many airlines now are so proscriptive with SOPs that it is hard for people who haven't been exposed to different companies - some now long-time Captains, to tell if the procedure demanded is a legal requirement or a company policy, just as they will often fall into the mindset that if not told they MUST do something then that something is forbidden. Where did common sense go?
Different companies tend to ask for different procedures, I doubt any are all right or all wrong, most will work just fine, and any sensible company leaves it up to the Captain to decide exactly what to do with his lights. "Landing lights ON" does not necessarily mean "All of them ON", does it? "Taxi light ON" does not necessarily mean "nothing but Taxi light ON"; BALPA's recommendation -
afaik a pretty international standard, is to taxi with turn-off lights on too. My company's SOP appears to suggest taxiing in complete darkness if you've turned the taxi light off to come on stand (why, when there is no marshaller?) or want to avoid dazzling the follow-me car. Not very smart, is it?
But then SOPs are guidelines, not rules, aren't they?
Many of us use a sequence of light selections as cues or confirmation of clearances, and if ingrained in a pilot's style are probably best left alone - I always select the last pair of landing lights ON on reciept of landing clearance, so all lights on means we did get clearance. I'll do that at FL150 if cleared to land then. (but why use extendable landing lights in good vis or in daytime? We know they cause drag = fuel burn, sometimes get stuck and are expensive to maintain, and we have been asked to consider not using them. Fixed L lights and turnoff lights look just the same to the buzzard a mile ahead.)
Anyway, do birds really get out of the way when they see lights? Hmm, could be, but I'd like to see the research on that one! If they can't see and hear a hundred tons of metal roaring down on them in broad daylight it doesn't sound very likely to me.
I say again, where did the common sense go?