 |
|
Migrating birds chill to fatten up
September 11, 2009Marathon runners are famed for pasta packing in the days before a big run but when tiny passerine birds set out on their epic migrations, the distances are too great to cover on the energy reserves with which they embark. Michał Wojciechowski and Berry Pinshow explain that most birds stop off en route to their destination to refuel. One of the Eurasian blackcaps' preferred refuelling stops is Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel, where the birds fill up on fruit and insects before setting off again. Knowing that birds expend twice as much energy during stopovers than they use in transit, the duo wondered whether the tiny aviators drop their body temperature at night during stopovers to save energy and build up their reserves faster. They publish this discovery on 11 September 2009 in The Journal of Experimental Biology at http://jeb.biologists.org.
Collecting migrating blackcaps at their stopover site on the Sede Boqer Campus of Ben-Gurion University and near Toron, Poland, Wojciechowski and Pinshow weighed the birds and monitored their body temperatures and metabolic rates as the birds stocked up on fruit supplemented with mealworms. During the day the birds' body temperatures hovered around 42.5°C, but as dusk fell, their temperatures began to drop. The average normal body temperature at night was about 38.8°C, while one particularly skinny individual's temperature plummeted to 33°C. And when the team plotted the birds' body masses against their nocturnal temperatures, the smaller birds' (< 16.3g) temperatures correlated with their body masses.
Finally, the team looked at the relationship between the birds' temperatures and their metabolic rates and found that the heavier birds dropped their metabolic rates least, while the lightest birds dropped their metabolic rates most. Some conserved a remarkable 30% of their energy by becoming hypothermic.
Knowing that small birds also conserve energy by huddling together for warmth, Wojciechowski and Pinshow suggest that migrating birds may combine both strategies to shorten refuelling stopovers to fatten up fast before hastening on their way.
http://jeb.biologists.org
The Company of Biologists
Knowing that small birds also conserve energy by huddling together for warmth, Wojciechowski and Pinshow suggest that migrating birds may combine both strategies to shorten refuelling stopovers to fatten up fast before hastening on their way.
http://jeb.biologists.org
The Company of Biologists
Migrating Birds Current Events and Migrating Birds News RSSStudy finds migratory birds not picky about their rest stops
If a lush, protected forest with a winding stream is considered luxury accommodation for a migratory bird, a Purdue University study shows that those birds would be just as happy with the equivalent of a cheap roadside motel.
New wheat disease could spread faster than expected
Both plant and human diseases that can travel with the wind have the potential to spread far more rapidly than has been understood, according to a new study, in findings that pose serious concerns not only for some human diseases but also a new fungus that threatens global wheat production.
Migrating songbirds learn survival tips on the fly
Migrating songbirds take their survival cues from local winged residents when flying through unfamiliar territory, a new Queen's University-led study shows.
Research Team Is First to Model Photochemical Compass for Bird Navigation
A team of researchers at Arizona State University and the University of Oxford are the first to model a photochemical compass that may simulate how migrating birds use light and Earth's weak magnetic field to navigate.
What determines the speed at which birds fly?
Aerodynamic scaling rules that explain how flight varies according to weight and wing loading have been used to compare general speeds of a wide range of flyers, from the smallest insects to the largest aircraft.
Bats prey on nocturnally migrating songbirds
It was until now believed that nocturnally migrating songbirds, while venturing into the unfamiliar night sky for accomplishing their long, challenging trans-continental migrations, could at least release anti-predator vigilance thanks to the concealment of darkness.
New research predicts US entry of H5N1 avian influenza
Scientists at the Consortium for Conservation Medicine (CCM), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoo report that H5N1 avian influenza is most likely to be introduced to countries in the Western Hemisphere through infected poultry trade.
Northern birds are fatter!
"The further birds migrate north for the summer, the faster they put on weight", says Dr Williams (Simon Fraser University, Canada) who has been tracking migrating birds for several years.
Displaced songbirds navigate in the high Arctic
By experimentally relocating migratory white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) from their breeding area in the Canadian Northwest Territories to regions at and around the magnetic North Pole, researchers have gained new insight into how birds navigate in the high Arctic.
Birds carry bacteria across the hemispheres: Migratory birds transmit borreliosis
Migrating birds transmit different forms of the Borrelia bacterium or Borrelia spirochetes to every corner of the globe. Birds are especially prone to Borrelia infected ticks during their autumn and spring migrations. The bacteria may also persist for several months in the birds and it may then be reactivated in response to migration. Borrelia spirochetes and the role of birds as global transmitters of the bacteria have been investigated by a Swedish research group led by Professor Sven Bergström. The group is part of a Finnish-Swedish research consortium included in the Microbes and Man Research Programme, which is co-funded by the Academy of Finland and the Swedish Foundation for Strategi
More Migrating Birds Current Events and Migrating Birds News Articles
 |
Winged Migration Starring: Philippe Labro, Jacques Perrin Directed By: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud Also With: Jacques Perrin (Primary Contributor) Rolling Stone raved that Winged Migration, the critically acclaimed, awe-inspiring documentary, is"A movie miracle! It soars! You feel privileged!" Witness as five film crews follow a rich variety of bird migrations through 40 countries and each of the seven continents. With teams totalling more than 450 people, 17 pilots and 14 cinematographers used planes, gliders, helicopters and balloons to fly alongside, above, below and in front of their subjects. The result is a film of staggering beauty that Entertainment Weekly hailed as "Mesmerizing!" and the Los Angeles Times applauded as "Breathtaking! As lofty as it is exhilarating!" Open your eyes to the wonders of the natural world as you fly along with the world’s most gorgeous birds through areas. |
|
Gatherings of Angels: Migrating Birds and Their Ecology by Kenneth P. (Ed.) Able (Author), Illus. with photos (Illustrator) | |
 |
Migrators Plush Hunting and Migrating Bird PELICAN by Multipet Free as a bird. The Migrators could spread their wings and fly away, but instead they've migrated to make their resting spot close to where they can keep your dog nestled under their beautiful wings.Migrators Plush Hunting and Migrating Birds PELICAN by MultiPet. Our Migrators are so realistic they could fly away. Each features a unique voice box that makes a realistic sound when squeezed.Large: approx. 12" |
 |
Migrating Birds by Migrating Birds Debut EP release from Migrating Birds, a four piece hailing from Montreal, Quebec The group met in Montreal late 2007 though music forums and friends. Each hailing from a different country ( England, France, Canada & the USA ) the members came to the band with different influences and ideas, but united in the pursuit of good music creation. They hope this EP will stir at the soul and feed the heart. |
 |
Baby Blue Migrating Birds New Silk Necktie Neck Tie by Novelty ties Delightful design of flying birds in pastel colors. Featuring shades of peach and green on a baby blue background. Crafted from a smooth silk fabric this tie measures 58" long x 4" wide. |
 |
Teddy Bear with geese, migrating, bird t-shirt by SHOPZEUS 7 inch tall soft teddy bear with personalized white t-shirt. |
 |
Onesie with geese, migrating, bird by Shop Zeus |
 |
Migrating Bird (?????????? ?????) ???????? ??????????? (Anatoly Mogilevsky) (Primary Contributor) |
 |
Jac Zagoory Ripple Pen Soar! Migrating Birds Fountain Pen - JZ-PEN51-F by Jac Zagoory |
 |
Decorated Mouse Pad with geese, migrating, bird by SHOPZEUS Professional "Brite White" fabric mouse pads are among the most versatile and durable, providing brilliant graphic reproduction for spot color or full color imprints. This durable polyester surface is above industry standards and provides a superior product value overall. Designed to reproduce vibrant detailed images. Our mouse pads have white fabric top with the 100% genuine black rubber base (not the cheap foam your seen on other advertisements). |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |