Testing for Behavioral Lateralization in Observational Data: a Monte Carlo Approach Applied to Neck-looping in American Flamingos

Abstract

Abstract We applied a Monte Carlo approach to test for both individual and group level laterality preferences in neck looping by American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) at rest. We found no evidence of individual or group-level preferences, contrary to the results of previous studies. In the present data, the appearance of bias tended to decrease as the number of observations increased, suggesting that apparent lateral bias may be largely because of stochastic error. Pair members tended to loop the neck to the same side on the same day to a greater extent than expected by chance, implying that social factors can act contrary to any individual lateral preference that may exist in this species.