The researchers tested balance in fluffy young Chilean flamingos lured onto a platform attached to a force plate instrument that measures how much they sway. They sat around and waited for the flamingos to fall asleep while standing on the plate. Force plate measures the forces applied to the ground. One way to study balance and evaluate the constant motion of the body when standing on one or two limbs (also called postural sway) is to have animals stand on a device called a force plate. For the study, they used a device called a force plate, with which they measured flamingos postural sway. They examined eight young flamingo cadavers and their joints. Ting analyzed the behavior of flamingos in a zoo. It might be even easier to stand on one leg than to stand on two, Lena Ting, the biomedical engineer said. Thus, he suggests that staying warm might have something to do with standing on one leg.Īccording to a study, co-led by Lena Ting, and published by Biology letters ( 1), flamingos may not even need to use their muscles to stand on one leg only, and it is not tiring for flamingos to stand on one leg.
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Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, based on the observation, said that flamingos rest on one leg when temperatures drop.
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In a different study by Matthew Anderson, a comparative psychologist at St. Flamingo – Research StudyĪ researcher, who studied flamings, Reinhold Necker of Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, said that regardless if easy balancing saves some energy, standing one leg may take some. Another argument is that when one leg is resting while other supports the body, it reduces muscle fatigue by standing on one leg. One theory which keeps reoccurring is that flamingos stand on one leg to stay warm and conserve body heat. Up to know, there have been many studies, hypothesis, and explanations. But, is it?įor many years the researches have been wondering why flamingos stand on one leg. Then we observe flamingos, and as humans, we think standing on one leg is hard because it’s difficult for us. Also, a tree pose yoga posture with closed eyes feels almost impossible. Most of us, when we stand on one leg, we find it very difficult. The birds may seem to enjoy more the tropics, but they also live in the Andes, 15,000 feet above sea level, where they rest on lakes that freeze around them overnight. They live in remote locations and extreme environments, and they move around a lot. Flamingos are found throughout the world, wherever there are shallow salt pans or lagoons.
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Today there are only five or six species. The Science Behind Flamingosįlamingos are an ancient group of birds, dating back at least 50 million years. But, as flamingos also stand in warm water, other theories are explaining why they stand on one leg. By tucking in one leg in, beneath their bodies, it helps them thermo-regulate and conserve more body heat, as they are spending a significant amount of time wading in cold water. Because of their exquisite balance, they sway less to keep itself upright. So, why flamingos stand on one leg? It appears that birds natural built into balanced anatomy allows for a one-legged stable stance. Now, plenty of birds will stand on one leg, often while sleeping. Not only that, but flamingos can stand on one leg for a long time. Flamingos are beautiful, tall, slim, and elegant pink birds, famous for their light pink colored feathers and for standing on one leg.