This one-legged stance of flamingos is just one of the curious things about it, flamingos are surely interesting birds to study. It is also important to note that while a flamingo’s legs are covered in protective scales, that isn’t true of its whole body. (Inside Science) – Flamingos are iconic. Therefore, a flamingo can actually sleep while standing on one leg, while the portion of the brain controlling the raised leg rests. Flamingo is a bright pink bird, they exhibit some curious behaviors like sleeping with their heads on their back, standing on one leg and eating with its neck bent. 23, 2017 , 7:15 PM. The one leg it uses to stand looks like grass or reed in which flamingos often stand, this helps it to disguise and stay hidden. Depicted as a flamingo in full profile facing left, standing on one leg, usually with a long, black beak. Many ideas have tried to explain this one-legged stance. Flamingo is a bird that is usually standing on one leg, while the other leg is hidden underneath its body. There’s one particular question about flamingo’s behaviour that has stumped scientists for some time, namely, why do flamingos stand on one leg? Flamingos are mostly found in water, when they are in the water, it is common to see a flamingo standing on a leg. All these make a flamingo a pretty interesting bird to study. How flamingos sleep while standing on one leg. A flamingo, a waterbird with pink feathers and long neck and legs. However, there has been no fully confirmed answer as to why flamingos take this one-legged stance. Most large wading birds have the ability to stand on one leg, and flamingos are one of the biggest wading birds out there. From that point on, she's been known as "Flamingo … Whenever I picture flamingoes, they are always standing at a 90 degree angle, on one leg," Hardouin said. Or, perhaps it minimizes heat loss. So there you go: Flamingos stand on one leg because it's physiologically easier for them to do so. Given all that we now know about the flamingo habitat and behavior, perhaps the answer of why they stan… The flamingos could even sleep while on one leg. When resting, flamingos are often – but not always – seen standing on just one leg, with the other raised up into its feathers. A pink flamingo standing on one leg. Hank explains as quickly as he can! 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