November 24, 2016
Cosmos
Curated content from the editorial staff at Cosmos Magazine.
Credit: Wild Wonders of Europe / Allofs / Getty Images
Although flamingos are socially monogamous, pairs only bond for a single breeding season. This means that all sexually mature individuals are involved in group displays each year in order to find a new mate, with varying degrees of success.
A paper published in Scientific Reports found the more complex a greater flamingo’s (Phoenicopterus roseus) dance, the more likely they will attract a mate.
But only to a point. After they hit 20 years old, after which point, the researchers suggest, declining reproductivity and motor coordination means their dances become simpler.
