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Patterns of aggression among captive american flamingos ( Phoenicopterus ruber )
Author(s) -
Hinton Mitchell G.,
Bendelow Annie,
Lantz Samantha,
Wey Tina W.,
Schoen Lee,
Brockett Robin,
Karubian Jordan
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.21078
Subject(s) - aggression , biology , courtship , courtship display , zoology , captive breeding , captivity , population , endangered species , pair bond , ecology , demography , developmental psychology , psychology , sociology , habitat
Many species of flamingo are endangered in the wild but common in zoos, where successful captive breeding programs are a management priority. Unlike their counterparts in the wild, captive flamingo individuals are easy to mark and follow, facilitating longitudinal data collection on social dynamics that may affect reproduction. We studied a captive group of American Flamingos at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, LA to document patterns of aggression between individuals during the onset of breeding. We used a social network approach to test whether overall aggression would be higher during courtship or following establishment of pair bonds. Aggression was higher following pair bond establishment than during courtship, suggesting that individuals in our study population may compete more intensely for resources such as nesting sites than for mates. We also found that males were more aggressive than females during all stages of the study period and that there was a positive relationship between age and aggression in males during the pair‐bond stage. We discuss these findings in light of management practices for captive populations of flamingos and general patterns of aggression in social animals. Zoo Biol. 32:445–453, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals Inc.