Flamingos are often seen as peaceful waders, standing gracefully in shallow lakes with their heads dipped underwater. But beneath that calm surface, they’re executing a surprisingly sophisticated and active hunting technique.
Scientists studying Chilean flamingos at the Nashville Zoo have now documented how these birds use their floppy, webbed feet, L-shaped beaks, and plunging heads to engineer swirling tornadoes in the water. These tiny whirlpools pull prey like brine shrimp and copepods into reach.
The flamingo begins by stirring the sediment with its feet, which generate circular currents that bring food closer to the surface. At the same time, the bird plunges its head downward and quickly jerks it up, reinforcing the vortex and helping concentrate the prey into a tighter cluster. This hunting technique allows the flamingo to catch its prey much more effectively.
The creature’s distinctive beak plays a major role here. While underwater and upside down, the bird keeps its upper beak still and rapidly moves the lower part, chattering at a rate of about 12 times per second. This motion generates even more vortices, guiding food into the mouth.
It’s a process that turns feeding into an active, almost mechanical system to capture prey. Researchers conducted tests with 3D printed beak models confirmed this motion significantly increases the number of brine shrimp caught. Researchers also found that the shape and flexibility of the flamingo’s feet are key to this hunting strategy.
Floppy feet reduce suction against the muddy bottom and are better at generating forward-moving currents. Simulations and lab experiments demonstrated that rigid feet created mostly turbulence, while the natural foot design of flamingos pushed sediment and prey-laden water right toward their beaks.
This advanced hunting technique makes the flamingo not only a marvel of evolution but a source of inspiration for robotic design and environmental cleanup systems. Engineers are already considering how these principles could help in removing microplastics from water or designing machines that can walk efficiently in mud.
