Age-Related Change in the Association Choices of Two Species of Juvenile Flamingos
Flamingos are colonial species commonly kept in zoos, well known for their bright plumage and elaborate courtship displays. This project aimed to determine the differences in flock position and association preferences of juvenile Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) and Caribbean Flamingos (P. ruber) housed in the same zoological collection. Little research has been conducted on the […]
Wing condition does not negatively impact time budget, enclosure usage, or social bonds in a flock of both full-winged and flight-restrained greater flamingos
Abstract Zoo management techniques for captive birds, such as flight restraint and enclosure type, may affect behavioral performance and are consequently worthy of investigation. Flamingos are amongst the most popular of zoo-housed birds and, as such, research into their captive management and associated behavioral responses are widely applicable to many thousands of individuals. As a […]
Do Birds of a Feather Always Flock Together? Assessing Differences in Group and Individual Zoo Enclosure Usage by Comparing Commonly Available Methods
Data on zoo enclosure usage provide meaningful evaluation of husbandry and welfare but for social species, group-level data may not capture individual occupancy preferences. Determining zone occupancy using group data may give an inaccurate assessment of enclosure suitability for each individual. We compared three formulae (traditional and modified Spread of Participation Index and Electivity Index) […]
Factors affecting aggression in a captive flock of Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis)
Abstract The influence of pair bond status, age and sex on aggression rates in a flock of 84 captive Chilean flamingos at Zoo Atlanta was examined. Analysis showed no difference between aggression rates of male and female flamingos, but adult flamingos had higher rates of aggression than juveniles. There were also significant differences in aggression […]
Feeding behavior, aggression, and the conservation biology of flamingos: Integrating studies of captive and free-ranging birds
Flamingos (Aves, Phoenicopteridae) represent an ancient lineage of long-legged, microphagous, colonial wading birds. Although often perceived as tropical, flamingo distribution is more closely tied to the great deserts of the world, and to hypersaline sites, than it is to equatorial regions. Many aspects of flamingo behavior and ecology can be studied in captivity. Experimental studies […]
Stability of social behavior in captive American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber): A quantitative case study
Over a three-year period a captive American flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) group showed recurring seasonal changes in the pattern of agonistic behavior. In spite of seasonal changes in the rates of agonistic behavior, dominance relations were generally stable across seasons. Males had significantly higher dominance status than females, and birds in long-term male–female pair bonds had […]
Developing flamingo husbandry practices through workshop communication
Zoos are duty-bound to provide excellent welfare standards for the species that they keep. Curators and keepers have a role to play in ensuring that husbandry regimes are relevant and mimic a species’ natural environment. This paper explains the key outcomes from ABWAK’s (Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers) first national flamingo keepers’ […]
Social bonds in a flock bird: Species differences and seasonality in social structure in captive flamingo flocks over a 12-month period
Social network analysis (SNA) is a popular tool for investigating key components of sociality in free-living populations, and is growing in its application to captive animal systems. For social species held in captivity, welfare may be improved if protocols for care take key aspects of sociality into account. Individuals may benefit from investment in social […]