Behavior
- Flamingos devote considerable time to collective displays before, during, and after breeding.
- Sometimes only one display is performed, but more often, a predictable sequence of displays are carried out.
- Not all flamingo species perform all of the described displays, and some perform the displays slightly different than described.
- "Head-flag" involves stretching the neck and head up as high as possible, with the bill pointing upwards, and then rhythmically turning the head from one side to the other.
- "Wing-salute" is performed by spreading the wings for a few seconds, showing their striking contrasted colors, while the tail is cocked and neck outstretched.
- In the "inverted wing-salute", the flamingo angles its head down, cocks its tail, and orients its body so that the tail is higher than the chest. The wings are then held partially open above the back with the black flight feathers pointing up and the bend in the wing pointing down.
- "Twist-preen" entails the bird twisting its neck back and appearing to preen quickly, with its bill behind a partly open wing.
- "Wing-leg stretch" involves the leg and wing on the same side stretched out and to the rear.
- "Marching" is performed by a large group of flamingos that cluster together, stand erect, and then move in quick, synchronized steps in first one direction and then another.