Have you noticed that lots of flamingos and other water birds often stand on one leg? Mike Toms explains why…
Though a number of theories have been proposed to explain why some birds – including flamingoes – stand on one leg, a behaviour known as apodal resting, research has finally produced an explanation.
Why do some birds stand on one leg?
A study on captive Caribbean flamingos has revealed that standing on one leg helps to conserve warmth. This probably also applies to other waterbirds, such as various species of wader.
Cold water draws away body let so, for birds that spend a lot of time wading, it makes sense to minimise losses by placing only one limb in the water, keeping the other tucked up in the plumage.
The scientists ruled out other mooted benefits, notably to reduce fatigue in the legs, shorten the time needed to take flight and improve balance, through studies of individually marked birds.
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