Metabolic costs of heat solicitation calls in relation to thermal need in embryos of American white pelicans

Chilled embryos of pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, begin to vocally solicit parental heat at the pipped-egg stage. Honest signalling models predict that if vocal heat solicitation is a true reflection of need, then solicitation should be costly and costs should increase with the embryo's need for warmth. Using open-flow respirometry, we measured the metabolic costs associated with vocal heat solicitation by exposing embryos to either a decreasing or increasing series of body temperatures, ranging from 25 to 37.8 degrees C. We measured baseline costs (stable temperature, embryo silent) and costs associated with cold-induced calling at each temperature. At natural incubation temperature (37.8 degrees C), call rates and costs associated with calling were negligible, as was thermal need. Metabolic costs relative to baseline costs and costs per call increased with thermal need as body temperature declined. Absolute metabolic costs increased between 37.8 and 35 degrees C, then remained stable down to 25 degrees C. Call rates increased as embryos were chilled within the range of temperatures most frequently experienced in nature (35-37.8 degrees C), then decreased significantly for all lower temperatures, probably owing to reduced overall metabolic rate at lower temperatures (25-37.8 degrees C). The results generally support the honest signalling prediction that vocal heat solicitation is metabolically costly, and that costs increase with need. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.