Although these movements might be appropriate in some situations, the fact that they are repeated even in inappropriate situations is why they are considered abnormal.
Rabbits stood up in the road ahead, their little front paws dangling down and their noses sniffing, and the sun shone through their tall, twitching ears.
Complex tics typically last longer, sometimes over a second, and are usually a combination of simple tics, like shaking one's head while shrugging their shoulders.