They started watching the flocks to try to figure out if flamingos had a particular right or left preference when craning their necks to rest their heads on their backs. ![]() Joseph’s University in Philadelphia have published numerous studies on their observations of Caribbean flamingos ( Phoenicopterus ruber) at the Philadelphia Zoo and on other flamingo species in captivity and in the wild. ![]() Anderson-has made a mini-career out of trying to explain why the iconic birds do what they do.Ī 2009 study by Anderson has increasingly been accepted as the conventional wisdom-especially by zookeepers, who are frequently queried about the one-legged stance.Īnderson and his colleagues at St. But theories are not plentiful, given the small number of scientists who have actually studied flamingo behavior. Until six years ago, the explanation was almost always that it was just more comfortable. The reason for this balancing feat-which can last for hours even in the face of high winds-is still being debated, sort of. ![]() Anderson reported that flamingos didn’t seem to be choosy about their resting leg, but that one-legged resting was much more common in the water than on dry land-at least in the Caribbean birds at the Philadelphia Zoo.įlamingos are social, strikingly colored, and known for a habit of standing on one leg, whether it’s in the wild or as part of a yard-art display.
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