A flamboyance of flamingos will slumber in a lake
How fabulous that every bird can have a feather bed!
(But if eagles start to circle, then they may stay half awake.)
A flamboyance of flamingos will slumber in a lake.
They’ll stand upon a slender leg, until they need a break,
Elegantly shifting to the other leg instead.
A flamboyance of flamingos will slumber in a lake,
How fabulous that every bird can have a feather bed!
FLAMINGOS
A flock of flamingos, also known as a flamboyance, can vary in size from just a few flamingos up to a million! Flamingos often sleep in shallow water while standing on one leg, nestling the other leg underneath them for warmth. Balancing on one leg requires the least muscle tone for flamingos, allowing them to save energy. When the standing leg eventually tires, they will switch to the other leg without waking up. Flamingos curve their necks backward and rest their heads on their feathers while sleeping.
When they feel threatened, flamingos will sleep with one eye open. The half of the brain opposite from the open eye remains awake, while the other half of the brain is asleep. This type of sleep (known as unihemispheric sleep), allows them to watch for predators such as lions, cheetahs, and eagles who might want to eat their eggs or young.