Temporal interactions with flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) foraging plasticity: basal resources, assemblage structure and benthic heterogeneity

Plessis, Darren S. du; Pillay, Deena

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107659

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 37 publications

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“…Ecosystem engineering regards several bird taxa, such as woodpeckers [2] and seabirds [3]. The Greater Flamingo has been deemed as an ecosystem engineer in modern wetlands because of its capability to alter benthic communities, sediment properties, and micro-topography [4][5][6][7]. It is mainly a bottom filter-feeder and exhibits several feeding behaviours on aquatic invertebrates, algae and plant material [8].…”

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Circular Bedforms Due to Pit Foraging of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus in a Back-Barrier Intertidal Habitat

et al. 2022

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The Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus is known as an ecosystem engineer, rearranging sediment in peculiar bedforms as a consequence of its filter-feeding behaviour. In recent decades, the populations of the Greater Flamingo have notably increased, and now the species is one of the most abundant waterbirds in Mediterranean wetlands. Owing to its range expansion, it inhabits and exploits new and suitable foraging sites detectable by foraging structures left on the sediment. There are few images of the foraging morphologies in the literature, possibly due to their ephemeral nature and difficulty in detecting them. In this manuscript, we present a very detailed UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) image of an aggregate of pit foraging structures of Greater Flamingo discovered on a back-barrier washover fan in the Marano and Grado Lagoon (Northern Adriatic, Italy).

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Circular Bedforms Due to Pit Foraging of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus in a Back-Barrier Intertidal Habitat

et al. 2022

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Foraging plasticity in Chilean flamingos: influence of water depth, food abundance and intra-flock distances

Delfino,

Carlos

2024

Ethology Ecology & Evolution

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Flamingos as ecosystem engineers: flock size and foraging behaviors linked to nutrient availability

Delfino,

Carlos

2024

Behavioral Ecology

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In wetland ecosystems, birds play a crucial role in nutrient cycling through various activities such as excrement deposition, sediment disturbance during foraging, and utilization of mud and vegetation for nesting. Particularly noteworthy are species exhibiting colonial breeding or high sociability, as they can significantly influence waterbody communities and act as ecosystem engineers in these habitats. Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae) possess all these characteristics, making them potential ecosystem engineers. In this study, we aim to test the hypothesis that Chilean Flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) exert such effects on an important non-breeding wetland. Moreover, we seek to elucidate the underlaying reasons for these effects and their relationship with flock size and foraging behavior. To accomplish this, we conducted a year-long study on the flock of Chilean Flamingos at Lagoa do Peixe National Park in southern Brazil. We collected environmental and behavioral data, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and dissolved oxygen levels, water turbidity, salinity, and temperature, from areas both with and without flamingos. Our findings suggest a significant role of Chilean Flamingos in maintaining the nutrient cycle within wetland ecosystems. This is attributed not only to the high levels of guano deposition, but also to the bioturbation caused by their foraging behaviors. Furthermore, we observed a significant correlation between flock size, the mean duration of foraging behaviors, and the magnitude of these effects. This study points the likely effects of flamingos to wetlands ecosystems, emphasizing the intricate interplay between these birds and their habitats and highlights the importance of conserving both the species and their ecosystems.

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Temporal interactions with flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) foraging plasticity: basal resources, assemblage structure and benthic heterogeneity

Cited by 5 publications

References 37 publications

Circular Bedforms Due to Pit Foraging of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus in a Back-Barrier Intertidal Habitat

Circular Bedforms Due to Pit Foraging of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus in a Back-Barrier Intertidal Habitat

Foraging plasticity in Chilean flamingos: influence of water depth, food abundance and intra-flock distances

Flamingos as ecosystem engineers: flock size and foraging behaviors linked to nutrient availability

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