Flush of aggression: Flamingos with bright pink plumage are more likely to fight over food than their paler rivals, study shows
- Researchers studied the behaviour of lesser pink flamingos during feeding time
- They found the brighter feathered birds were more aggressive than paler birds
- This was particularly true during feeding time and if food was in a small area
The brightest pink flamingos are more aggressive than their pale rivals when it comes to fighting over food, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Exeter and the WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire investigated the differences in flamingo behaviour when feeding.
Pink plumage is a sign of good health in lesser flamingos, and a flush of colour often means they are ready to breed - with the brightest pushing other birds around.
The team found the birds fight more when food is available in a small area such as a bowl - suggesting in captivity it should be provided over a wide open space.
The brightest pink flamingos are more aggressive than their pale rivals when it comes to fighting over food, according to a new study
Researchers from the University of Exeter and the WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire investigated the differences in flamingo behaviour when feeding
'Flamingos live in large groups with complex social structures,' said Dr Paul Rose, of the University of Exeter, an author of the study.
'Colour plays an important role in this. The colour comes from carotenoids in their food, which for lesser flamingos is mostly algae that they filter from the water.
'A healthy flamingo that is an efficient feeder - demonstrated by its colour- will have more time and energy to be aggressive and dominant when feeding.'
Dr Rose studied the behaviour of Slimbridge's lesser flamingos in different feeding situations to get an idea of how they behave and the impact changes have.
The situations studied included an indoor feeding bowl, a larger indoor feeding pool, and outdoors with food available in a large pool.In the outdoor pool, birds spent less than half as much time displaying aggression, while foraging time doubled (compared to when fed from a bowl).
'When birds have to crowd together to get their food, they squabble more and therefore spend less time feeding,' Dr Rose said.
'It's not always possible to feed these birds outdoors, as lesser flamingos only weigh about 2kg and are native to Africa, so captive birds in places like the UK would get too cold if they went outside in the winter.'
However, this study showed they should be fed over as wide an area as possible.
Pink plumage is a sign of good health in lesser flamingos, and a flush of colour often means they are ready to breed - with the brightest pushing other birds around
The team found the birds fight more when food is available in a small area such as a bowl - suggesting in captivity it should be provided over a wide open space
Dr Rose studied the behaviour of Slimbridge's lesser flamingos in different feeding situations to get an idea of how they behave and the impact changes have
'Where possible, creating spacious outdoor feeding areas can encourage natural foraging patterns and reduce excess aggression,' Dr Rose added.
'This research shows that zoos don't have to make huge changes to how they keep their animals to make a big, beneficial difference to animal behaviour.'
Lesser flamingos do not have a breeding season - they breed when they're in good enough condition.
This is often displayed by a 'pink flush' in the feathers, Dr Rose said, and the birds then become paler again during the tiring days of early parenthood.
'This study is a great example of why I love working with WWT Slimbridge,' he said.
'Based on my observations, I suggested some changes - and the keepers were willing to try them out. As a result, we get pinker, more relaxed flamingos.'
Individual birds colour was scored from one (mainly white) to four (mainly pink) - no differences were found between males and females in terms of aggression.
The research has been published in the journal Ethology.
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