Date:
June 7, 2020
Source:
University of Exeter
Bright
pink flamingos are more aggressive than paler rivals when fighting over food,
new research shows.
Pink
plumage is a sign of good health in lesser flamingos, and a flush of colour
often means they are ready to breed.
So when
the birds squabble over food, the pinkest flamingos -- both male and female --
tend to push the others around.
The
study, by the University of Exeter and WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, also
found the birds fight more when food is available in a small area such as a
bowl -- so the findings suggest captive birds should be fed over a wide space
where possible.
"Flamingos
live in large groups with complex social structures," said Dr Paul Rose,
of the University of Exeter.
"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 colourful
feathers -- 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: at an indoor feeding bowl, a larger indoor feeding pool, and
outdoors with food available in a large pool.