Individual differences in the preferred neck-resting position of Caribbean flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber)

Abstract

When resting, flamingos often lay their heads along their backs. While in this position they must curve their necks to either the right or left of their midline. Observations of captive Caribbean flamingos at the Philadelphia Zoo (Philadelphia, PA, USA) were conducted in order to determine if individual birds would display consistent preferences in neck-resting position over multiple observations. While individual birds were shown to vary greatly in regards to the strength and direction of their preferences, a significant flock-level preference towards neck resting to the right was obtained. Analysis of individual flamingos revealed that 5 out of 17 birds displayed preferences that significantly differed from chance, with each of these birds preferring to rest their necks to the right. From the present data we can conclude that flamingos display behavioural laterality of neck-resting position at both the level of the group and that of the individual.

Keywords:

• Flamingos
• Individual differences
• Laterality
• Resting behaviour

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Corrigendum

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their extreme gratitude to the Philadelphia Zoo for granting permission to observe the flamingos. In particular we wish to thank Dr Aliza Baltz, Curator of Birds, for her assistance throughout this project.