Nocturnal body temperature in wintering blue tits is affected by roost-site temperature and body reserves |
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Authors: | Andreas Nord Johan F. Nilsson J.-Å. Nilsson |
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Affiliation: | (1) Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden;(2) Present address: Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK |
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Abstract: | Birds commonly use rest-phase hypothermia, a controlled reduction of body temperature (T b), to conserve energy during times of high metabolic demands. We assessed the flexibility of this heterothermic strategy by increasing roost-site temperature and recording the subsequent T b changes in wintering blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus L.), assuming that blue tits would respond to treatment by increasing T b. We found that birds increased T b when roost-site temperature was increased, but only at low ambient temperatures. Moreover, birds with larger fat reserves regulated T b at higher levels than birds carrying less fat. This result implies that a roosting blue tit maintains its T b at the highest affordable level, as determined by the interacting effect of ecophysiological costs associated with rest-phase hypothermia and energy reserves, in order to minimize potential fitness costs associated with a low T b. |
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