DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28861226.v1
title: Supplementary Data 2. Hindlimb measurements of flamingos (Phoenicopteridae) for estimating water depth in behavioral video analyses.

description: This dataset compiles published hindlimb morphological measurements from six flamingo species (<i>Phoeniconaias minor</i>, <i>Phoenicoparrus</i> <i>andinus</i>, <i>Phoenicoparrus jamesi</i>, <i>Phoenicopterus chilensis</i>, <i>Phoenicopterus roseus</i>, and <i>Phoenicopterus ruber</i>) to serve as Supplementary Material for a neoichnological study on flamingo foraging behavior and the resulting biogenic structures. These hindlimb measurements enable water depth estimation in behavioral observations where direct measurement is impractical, following a method validated in prior flamingo research (e.g., Sebastiani et al., 1995; Mascitti, 1998; Mascitti and Castanera, 2006; Khaleghizadeh, 2010; Gutiérrez and Soriano-Redondo, 2018). All data were derived from published sources; no new animals were sampled.The data are part of the supplementary materials for a global ichnological survey of flamingo trace sites. To account for interspecific and population-level morphological variability (see Frias-Soler et al., 2014), we calculated species-specific mean values for the tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus based on measurements reported in the literature. These averages served as reference values for estimating water depth in videos curated from online repositories such as eBird, selecting those that featured stamping foraging behavior, which is often associated with sediment disturbance and trace formation.The dataset is formatted as a table with the following columns:Species: Taxonomic identification of each specimen, down to the subspecies level.Source: Reference to the original publication from which the measurement was obtained.Sex: Reported sex of the individual (when available).Age: Classified according to molt and plumage terminology described by Humphrey and Parkes (1959).Number of individuals: Number of individuals or sample size associated with each measurement.Specimen: Catalog code of preserved specimens.Evidence: Indicates whether the measurement was derived from skeletal remains or soft tissue in living/dead individuals.Tibiotarsus (mm): Length of the tibiotarsus in millimeters.Tarsometatarsus (mm): Length of the tarsometatarsus in millimeters.‘NA’ denotes unavailable data for a given variable. Some tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus values represent means derived from samples for which individual measurements were not available – these cases are indicated using boldface numbers.This dataset includes a few notable limitations. Certain specimens lack tibiotarsus data, which may affect the accuracy of water depth estimations in specific analyses. Additionally, some entries are incomplete, with missing specimen numbers or sex information as originally reported. Minor variations in measurement techniques may also be present across sources, depending on whether values were obtained from skeletal material or soft tissues.This standardized morphometric reference serves not only ichnological purposes but also supports broader investigations into flamingo ecology, biomechanics, avian morphology, and behavioral plasticity in aquatic environments. Potential applications include: 1) ichnology: link limb proportions to trace (fossil) interpretation; 2) behavioral ecology: correlating water depth with foraging efficiency or habitat use; 3) paleontology: comparing limb ratios of extinct and extant flamingos; 4) evolution: analyzing allometric trends across flamingo phylogeny; 5) ecology: providing baseline data for monitoring population health and phenotypic changes over time (past or future).If you use this dataset, please cite the original works from which the data were compiled, as well as this figshare repository.<br>ReferencesFrias-Soler, R., Tindle, E., Lopez, G.E., Blomberg, S., Studer-Thiersch, A., Wink, M., Tindle, R., 2014. Genetic and phenotypic evidence supports evolutionary divergence of the American Flamingo (<i>Phoenicopterus ruber</i>) population in the Galápagos Islands. Waterbirds 37, 349–468. doi:10.1675/063.037.0402.Gutiérrez, J.S., Soriano-Redondo, A., 2018. Wilson’s Phalaropes can double their feeding rate by associating with Chilean Flamingos. Ardea 106, 131–138. doi:10.5253/arde.v106i2.a5.Humphrey, P. S., and K. C. Parkes (1959). An approach to the study of molts and plumages. The Auk 76(1):1–31.Khaleghizadeh, A., 2010. Diurnal behaviour of the Greater Flamingo <i>Phoenicopterus roseus</i> during a tidal cycle on the Bandar Abbas Coast, Persian Gulf. Podoces 5, 107–111.Mascitti, V., 1998. James Flamingo foraging behavior in Argentina. Colonial Waterbirds 21, 277–280.Mascitti, V., Castanera, M.B., 2006. Foraging depth of Flamingos in single-species and mixed-species flocks at Laguna de Pozuelos, Argentina. Waterbirds 29, 328–334.Sebastiani, M., Villaró, M., Estévez, E., Castillo, M.M., 1995. A map of spatial preferences of wildlife birds of the Unare coastal system of Eastern Venezuela. Journal of Environmental Management 45, 25–44.