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 […]
Behavioral Correlates of Post-Breeding Weight Change in a Captive Flock of American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber)
In a captive flock of American flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber), a pattern of weight loss after the breeding season was observed in the majority of individuals of both sexes, but weights eventually stabilized after several months. Social dominance (as determined by a 6-month behavioral study) was a highly significant predictor of early post-breeding weight loss, […]