Captive flamingos keep up wild ways

Captive flamingos are just as active at night as those in the wild despite their different habitats, a study has found.

Although the birds are provided with food and protected in their enclosures from predators, footage shows that flamingos continue to forage and roam widely after the lights go out.

This indicates for the first time that flamingos have an inbuilt behaviour pattern to keep active rather than acting out of a necessity for survival.

Researchers observed 270 greater flamingos at WWT Slimbridge, and were highly surprised to see the birds foraging and seeking shelter.

Dr Paul Rose, from the WWT, said: “The results are fascinating, as it suggests that flamingos are hard-wired to stay active.”

This has important implications for how experts manage zoo populations of flamingos and other captive species. Samantha Herbert