It's a question visitors ask staff all the time at the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Bird House. The answer may surprise you!

Have you ever wondered why these birds strike this peculiar pose? Find out in this one-minute video, where Ask Smithsonian host Eric Schulze walks us through the reasons behind the majestic bird ...

This story appears in the April 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine. A flamingo looks like a bird cooked up by an exuberant preschooler—absurdly long legs, knobby ankles (that look like ...