'Friendship' groups could help flamingos stay in the pink – study

UK survey of Gloucestershire flocks shows birds hang out in small social networks

The sight of tens of thousands of flamingos flocking together to create a huge pink cloud may be one of the wonders of the natural world but research suggests that within these vast congregations, individual birds form intimate, long-lasting friendship groups.

A five-year study of captive flocks in Gloucestershire has found that flamingos spend large amounts of time with specific close "friends" in groups of up to four or five.