![]() ![]() It’s certainly a possibility, but unlikely given flamingo’s prey – algae, shrimp, molluscs, and aquatic plants are not particularly sight-driven, on the lookout for hungry birds. A flamingo on one leg could some sort of thin plant life leading to a larger top when seen from the water, where a flamingo’s prey lives. The water habitats where flamingos feed have plenty of long, thin objects in them – like reeds and small trees. Likelihood of being correct 3/10 It’s a way to better camouflage themselves As flamingos alternate which foot they’re standing on, this theory does seem possible, but it doesn’t seem too likely that a wading bird doesn’t like getting its feet wet. Perhaps flamingos stand on one leg to dry their other foot off. Likelihood of being correct 8/10 It helps keep their feet dry Given that flamingo cadavers can remain upright on one leg, but not two, there could well be something in this theory. It’s not a giant leap to consider that a flamingo would therefore be more comfortable standing for long periods – and sleeping – on one leg rather than two. The act of balancing on one leg requires less muscular effort and allows the birds to sway less, according to a Royal Society report. Because of the way a flamingo’s legs are built their leg joints are more unstable when both feet are flat on the ground.Ĭounter-intuitively, flamingos are actually more stable on one leg than on two. When standing on two legs, both legs are perfectly vertical. Likelihood of being correct 8/10 It’s more comfortable/reduces muscle fatigue Standing on one leg would keep the flamingo from falling over – and potentially drowning – because, as we’ve seen, flamingos have a build that actually gives them better balance when using one leg rather than two. The other leg gets pulled up to rest – lifted towards the body as if it were gently lowering the body onto the ground. This theory suggests that flamingos share a behaviour seen in ducks, whales, and dolphins, and are able to shut down half their brain when they sleep.Īs flamingos go into this half-awake state, a natural reflex kicks in, and the leg controlled by the side of the brain that’s awake stays on the ground to maintain balance. Likelihood of being correct 8/10 It’s a natural reflex to stop them from falling over when sleeping These results suggest that thermoregulation is a key reason behind the classic one-legged flamingo stance, though doesn’t rule out other theories also having some benefit. They found that when the weather was warmer, more birds would stand on two feet, while in cooler weather, more birds stood on one leg. This theory was put to the test in a 2009 study at the Philadelphia Zoo, where the team tracked the temperature and weather conditions when the flamingos were resting. ![]() One estimate puts the heat loss of a flamingo standing on two legs rather than one leg at between 140% and 170% more. The idea that birds living in tropical habitats need to conserve body heat may seem counter-intuitive, but flamingos spend most of their time in the water, which can lower the temperature of warm-blooded animals fairly quickly. Legs and feet are a significant source of heat loss in birds, so holding one leg closer to the body could help them conserve heat. Let’s look through the theories, the reasoning behind each theory, and the likelihood of each theory being correct: It’s a way to conserve heat Rather, there are a number of different theories, some more likely to be correct than others. There’s no universally accepted reason why flamingos stand on one leg. Let’s look at those theories now:Ĩ theories for why flamingos stand on one leg Understanding how flamingos stand on one leg doesn’t tell us why flamingos stand on one leg. It’s possible to pose a flamingo cadaver on one leg, and leave it there, still standing! These things, combined with gravity’s pull and the shape of flamingo’s leg bones, keeps all the joints in place and allows them to stand on one leg for hours on end with no need for any muscular activity.įlamingos can happily sleep standing on one leg, and, incredibly, they can even stay balanced on one leg when they’re dead. The center of mass moves to just in front of the flamingo’s (hidden) knee, so its body weight naturally pulls the hip and knee forward. ![]()
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