title: Inter-annual patterns of aggression and pair bonding in captive American flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber).
abstract: Because zoos typically house animals for extended periods of time, longitudinal studies can play an important role in evaluating and optimizing animal care and management. For example, information on patterns of aggression and mating behavior across years can be used to monitor well-being, assess response to changes to group composition, and promote successful reproduction. Here, we report on patterns of aggression and pair bonding by American flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) at the Audubon Zoo, New Orleans USA across 4 years (2012-2015), a period that included a simultaneous introduction and removal of individuals in 2014. At the population level, overall rates and social network indices of aggressive interactions were relatively stable over the study period, without a strong signal of the 2014 replacement event. At the individual level, flamingos exhibited a high degree of within-individual consistency in levels of aggression initiated (W = 0.530, P < 0.001), and received (W = 0.369, P = 0.042). In terms of pair bonds, females re-paired with the same individuals across years more frequently (between 58% and 100% from year to year) than they switched mates, and no bonds were established between pre-existing and introduced individuals. These findings indicate a high degree of stability in aggression and pair bonding behavior in this population of captive flamingos, at both the population and individual level. Longitudinal studies such as this one provide an opportunity to better our understanding of flamingos and other long-lived, group-living animals along with their management needs, especially in terms of maintaining social cohesion in captivity and improving captive breeding programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Nathan B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Frumkin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico.
authors.forename: Tina W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Wey
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Exnicios
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benham
authors.affiliation: Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California.
authors.forename: Mitchell G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lantz
authors.affiliation: Audubon Zoo, Audubon Nature Institute, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Atherton
authors.affiliation: Audubon Zoo, Audubon Nature Institute, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forde
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Jordan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karubian
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo / Q000502:physiology*; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D055820:New Orleans; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: UCINET; captive animals; personality; social networks; zoo management