It is one of the simplest, but most enigmatic mysteries of nature: just why do flamingoes like to stand on one leg?Flamingoes stand on one leg to regulate their body temperature.
Matthew Anderson and Sarah Williams are comparative psychologists based at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, US who are interested in the studying the evolution of behaviour.
"Flamingoes captured my attention for a variety of reasons," says Anderson.
"Scientifically speaking, their highly gregarious nature makes them an ideal species for investigating social influences on behaviour.
"Aesthetically speaking, they are large, beautiful, and iconic.
"Flamingoes captured my attention for a variety of reasons," says Anderson.
"Scientifically speaking, their highly gregarious nature makes them an ideal species for investigating social influences on behaviour.
"Aesthetically speaking, they are large, beautiful, and iconic.
Anderson and Williams's research began by studying laterality in flamingoes: whether they show any preference over which side of their bodies they use for various tasks, just as a human may be right or left-handed.
They found that flamingoes prefer to rest with their heads on one side more than the other, and that which side a flamingo rests its head determines how aggressive it is toward others in the flock.
They found that flamingoes prefer to rest with their heads on one side more than the other, and that which side a flamingo rests its head determines how aggressive it is toward others in the flock.
However, the researchers did find that flamingoes prefer to stand on one leg far more often when they are standing in water than when standing on land, they report in the journal Zoo Biology. The scientists ruled out each as a benefit of standing on one leg, as their research showed it took flamingoes longer, and therefore more energy, to move forward after resting on one leg than after resting on two.
"As water invariably draws away more body heat, this result supports the thermoregulation hypothesis," says Anderson.
In short, the birds stand on one leg to conserve body heat. If they put two legs in the water, rather than one, they would lose more heat than is healthy, particularly as they spend so much time wading. The birds also likely alternate which leg they stand on to avoid one leg becoming too cold.
In short, the birds stand on one leg to conserve body heat. If they put two legs in the water, rather than one, they would lose more heat than is healthy, particularly as they spend so much time wading. The birds also likely alternate which leg they stand on to avoid one leg becoming too cold.
"If they stood on one leg consistently, they would risk greater loss of body heat and potential tissue damage in the cold," says Anderson.
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