In April, I had the privilege of visiting Parque das Aves, a bird park located in Iguassu Falls, Brasil. This park is dedicated to four core principles: 1) Rescue and shelter 2) Reproduction of native species 3) Reforestation 4) Environmental education. While touring the facilities, I encountered an exhibit of flamingos. I was surprised to see mirrors surrounding the back of the exhibit.
The flamingos were brought to the park in the hope of breeding this endangered species and releasing their offspring back into the wild. Unfortunately, nothing happened. Even though the enclosure had everything the birds needed, they refused to mate. Flamigos in their natural habitat live in large flocks for protection from predators. The park installed the mirrors hoping to make the birds feel like they were part of a larger flock. The plan worked brilliantly. Evidently, these birds are anything but modest! More information can be found at http://www.parquedasaves.com.br/news/view.not_ing.php?id=34