ADULT AGGRESSIVENESS AND CRECHING BEHAVIOR IN THE GREATER FLAMINGO, PHOENICOPTERUS-RUBER ROSEUS

Although creching behavior has been observed in several colonial water bird species, its precis causation remains largely unexplored. Previou s studies have mainly considered adaptive benefits such as reduced ris k of predation through a dilution effect or enhanced thermoregulation. Recently, it has been proposed that adult aggressiveness is an import ant proximate factor underlying the dynamics of creche formation. Here , we report first results from a study of the creching behavior of the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber roseus) in the Camargue, in so uthern France. Aggressiveness of parents towards conspecifics and alie n chicks varied with the development stage of their own chick and decr eased when the parent's own chick was in the creche. The present study supports the idea that adult aggression levels directly affect the de velopment of chick creching behavior.