Why Do Flamingos Stand on One Leg?

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It seems like kind of an awkward way to spend most of your time, but flamingos seem perfectly happy to hang out on one leg. For a long time, people assumed they were trying to conserve heat. But thanks to some unusual research, we now know the real reason!

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Sources:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0948
https://www.eastshorevet.com/posts/why-does-your-cat-sit-in-a-bread-loaf-position
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajplegacy.1964.207.2.457

Image Sources:
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https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/american-flamingo-with-clipping-mask-gm155138029-18265552
https://www.storyblocks.com/video/stock/pink-flamingo-standing-on-one-paw-and-looking-for-food-in-the-grass-sgc6ysbnuk70h2vkp
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/domestic-cute-cat-lying-in-bed-sheets-inside-gm1201778878-344776398
https://www.storyblocks.com/video/stock/flamingo-standing-on-one-foot-in-water-82lyvaq
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/pink-flamingos-gm104936665-2476587
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https://figshare.com/articles/media/S1_Supplementary_movie_of_cadaveric_flamingo_demonstration_from_Mechanical_evidence_that_flamingos_can_support_their_body_on_one_leg_with_little_active_muscular_force/4990475?backTo=/collections/Supplementary_material_from_Mechanical_evidence_that_flamingos_can_support_their_body_on_one_leg_with_little_active_muscular_force_/3775499
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https://figshare.com/articles/media/S2_Supplementary_movie_of_a_live_flamingo_trial_from_Mechanical_evidence_that_flamingos_can_support_their_body_on_one_leg_with_little_active_muscular_force/4990484?backTo=/collections/Supplementary_material_from_Mechanical_evidence_that_flamingos_can_support_their_body_on_one_leg_with_little_active_muscular_force_/3775499
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