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By Victoria
Gill
Science
and nature reporter,
BBC News
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Flamingos in the
wild use pigments as "cosmetics"
to enhance the colour of their
plumage, according to
scientists.
Researchers studying greater
flamingos in the wetlands of
southern Spain found that the
birds rubbed pigmented secretions
onto their feathers.
They produce the pigments in
glands near the base of their
tails.
The scientists describe in the
journal Behavioural Ecology and
Sociobiology how the birds use the
pigments to signal to potential
mates.
The researchers identified
pigments called carotenoids in the
mixture of wax oil that the birds
secrete in their preen glands.
They noticed that, as well as
smoothing and tidying their
feathers, many birds deliberately
rubbed their cheeks against the
preen gland and then immediately
onto their neck, breast and back
feathers.
Reddish-orange carotenoid
pigments in the oils then
brightened the signature pink hue
of the birds' feathers.
High maintenance
Juan Amat from the Donana
Biological Station in Spain led
the study.
He said that the birds appeared
to "manipulate the colour of their
plumage" as a signal of their
quality.
Since it takes time and energy to
apply the pigments, being more
colourful could be a powerful
visual signal of a healthy,
well-nourished flamingo with time
to take care of its appearance.
"The rubbing is time-consuming,"
Dr Amat told BBC News. "And the
more frequently the birds practise
it, the more coloured they appear.
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SOURCES
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"If the birds stop the rubbing,
[their] plumage colour fades in a
few days because carotenoids
bleach quickly in the sunlight."
This means that, like with
make-up, frequent reapplication is
necessary to stay colourful.
The scientists have not directly
investigated how this cosmetic use
benefits the birds, but they think
that the more colourful flamingos
might have more success in finding
a mate.
"We found that the more coloured
birds started breeding earlier
than paler ones," explained Dr
Amat.
"So by mating to a colourful bird
an individual may increase its
reproductive success, as from
previous studies we know that the
first pairs to start breeding gain
access to the best breeding
sites."
And there is more to the story of
cosmetic-using flamingos than this
one study, according to Dr Amat.
"We have data indicating that
females make-up much more often
than males - just like in humans,"
he told BBC News.
"Also, we know that flamingos
apply make-up more often in better
habitats, and that the more
coloured birds obtain food of
better quality."
Professor Matthew Anderson from
Saint Joseph's University in
Philadelphia, US, said the study
provided "convincing evidence that
plumage colouration may be
involved in mate choice in these
birds".
He added: "The beautiful pink
plumage of flamingos has long
captured the attention of the
general public. It [now] appears
that flamingos may be paying as
much attention to their vibrant
colouration as we are."
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