Daily Times

The signature pose of flamingos, that is standing on one leg, helps them save energy, say scientists, who claim to have decoded the long-standing puzzle.

Researchers showed that flamingos employ no active muscular effort when they are on one leg. A passive mechanism is engaged in the one-legged position, allowing flamingos to stand even while taking a nap.

Previously, it was thought that the one-legged position might help reduce muscle fatigue, as the birds alternated from standing on one leg to the other.

Other researchers have proposed that this behaviour helps regulate body temperature.

Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University in the US have uncovered the mechanical secrets behind this impressive trick.

The researchers conducted several experiments with both live and dead birds. They found that dead flamingos could be made to stand one-legged without any external support.

Flamingos or flamingoes are a type of wading bird in the family Phoenicopteridae, the only family in the order Phoenicopteriformes. There are four flamingo species in the Americas and two species in the Old World.