With their long necks, pink feathers and habit of balancing elegantly on one leg, they’re one of nature’s most eye-catching creatures.
But even flamingos can find it hard to stand out from the crowd.
So when it comes to luring a mate, they bring out their best dance moves – 136 of them to be exact.
In a five-minute period the birds can pull up to eight poses, from preening and marching to a winged salute. And there are up to 17 elegant transitions between these poses – making a total of up to 136 different combinations.
The greater flamingo needs these elaborate routines because they do not mate for life, but find a new partner each season.
Not all of them know so many steps. But scientists who studied them found those who demonstrated the most complex moves raised their chances of breeding by up to 50 per cent.
The mating ritual can become quite a spectacle because they all dance together in a group, sometimes several thousand at once and for hours at a time. The flamingos’ moves include preening their feathers and false feeding – where they dip their bill in water but take it out immediately.
They can also execute an impressive salute, throwing their wings out to their full extent at 40 degrees to their body.
This gives a flash of different colours since flamingos have black and red under-wings. The birds also scratch, twist or march in unison, rushing in one direction and then another.
The study of 3,000 greater flamingos was carried out in the south of France, one of the few areas in Europe where they breed. Writing in the journal Scientific Reports, the research team, from Montpellier University and Institut de Recherche de la Tour du Valat in France, said: ‘There is a total absence of long-term pair bonding, with all pairs divorcing systematically between two consecutive breeding seasons.
‘This means all sexually mature individuals must invest each year in group displays in order to find a new mate.’ – Daily Mail