Why Do Flamingos Stand On One Foot?

Have your homeschooled children ever wondered why flamingos spend so much of their time standing only on one foot?

If so, they are not alone. And while many theories have been proposed none have yet been conclusive. Now a new theory has been propose that may in fact prove accurate.

Reported by BBC Earth News:

The scientists ruled out each (reducing fatigue in the birds’ legs, or escaping from predators more quickly) as a benefit of standing on one leg… however researchers did find that flamingos prefer to stand on one leg far more often when they are standing in water than when standing on land, they report in the journal Zoo Biology.
“As water invariably draws away more body heat, this result supports the thermoregulation hypothesis,” says Anderson.
In short, the birds stand on one leg to conserve body heat. If they put two legs in the water, rather than one, they would lose more heat than is healthy, particularly as they spend so much time wading.
“The results provide definitive evidence that thermoregulation is a principal function of unipedal resting in flamingos,” Anderson confirms.

So now you know!

Read entire article here, even includes several other fascinating facts about flamingo habits!