Energy exchange in the winter acclimatized american goldfinch, Carduelis (Spinus) tristis

Lustick, Sheldon; Battersby, Brian; Mayer, Larry

doi:10.1016/0300-9629(82)90154-2

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Both roost types have been shown to reduce nightly metabolic expenditure by 50% compared to birds roosting in the open and exposed to wind and the night sky : cavity roost of the Carolina Chickadee; Lustick et al 1982: conifer foliage roost of the American Goldfinch). Available evidence concerning this issue is equivocal.…”

Section: Factors Irifluencing Size Of Winter Fat Depotmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Available evidence concerning this issue is equivocal. Both roost types have been shown to reduce nightly metabolic expenditure by 50% compared to birds roosting in the open and exposed to wind and the night sky : cavity roost of the Carolina Chickadee; Lustick et al 1982: conifer foliage roost of the American Goldfinch). In contrast to the results ofLustick et al (1982), Walsberg and King (1980) demonstrated that American Robins (Turdus migratorius) roosting in conifer foliage in winter experienced only a 4% reduction in nightly energy expenditure relative to a theoretical value for a bird roosting in the open.…”

Section: Factors Irifluencing Size Of Winter Fat Depotmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predation Risk and Fasting Capacity: Do Wintering Birds Maintain Optimal Body Mass?

Rogers¹

1987

Ecology

173

116

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This paper tests the optimal body mass (OBM) model developed by Lima (1986) for small birds overwintering in a temperate climate. The OBM model views winter body mass as reflecting a trade-off between predation risk and the risk of starvation during periods of inclement weather. Specifically, stochastic computer simulations ofwinter seasons showed that costs (e.g., risk of being preyed upon) and benefits (e.g., fasting capacity) of fat associated with an intermediate mass combine to maximize the probability of overwinter survivorship (Lima 1986). The OBM model predicts that when benefits but not costs of extensive fattening are eliminated by predictable resources, the optimal solution will be for bird species to avoid costs by remaining leaner than species utilizing unpredictable resources. In the latter environment, benefits of fattening are important to surviving suddenly imposed fasting spells. Thus if mass and therefore winter survivorship are optimized among environments, size of the fat reserve should vary inversely with resource predictability.As a test of this prediction, this study compares visible subcutaneous fat among three avian foraging guilds that occupy a gradient of winter resouce predictability. Strictly treeforaging species utilizing tree-borne resources were considered to occupy a predictable environment relative to strictly ground-foraging species. In the latter foraging guild, resources may be unexpectedly and temporarily eliminated by moderate to heavy snowfall. Species with a partial dependence on each of these resource environments were assumed to occupy a resource environment of intermediate predictability. In four separate data sets involving small birds from southern Michigan, central Tennessee, northern Michigan, and southern Indiana, visible fat class varied inversely with resource predictability, as predicted. This trend was also observed in a comparison of species assumed alike in physiological factors that may independently influence size of fat reserve (body size, hypothermia, thermal conductance, basal metabolic rate, nocturnal roost microenvironment). In further concordance with theory, a comparison of dawn fat class between the Dark-eyed Junco and Tree Sparrow (from an unpredictable resource environment) and the Downy Woodpecker and Tufted Titmouse (from a predictable resource environment), which factored out all but a slight effect of basal metabolic rate, indicated significantly greater reserves in the two ground-foraging species. I conclude that aside from possible influences of physiological factors, resource predictability likely affects winter body mass in small birds. This influence takes the form of guild-specific trade-offs between predation risk and fasting capacity (see also Stuebe and Ketterson 1982, Nolan andKetterson 1983). These results support the OBM model (and similar models), and along with previous studies suggest the widespread importance of predation risk as a factor structuring biological systems.

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Section: Factors Irifluencing Size Of Winter Fat Depotmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Factors Irifluencing Size Of Winter Fat Depotmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predation Risk and Fasting Capacity: Do Wintering Birds Maintain Optimal Body Mass?

Rogers¹

1987

Ecology

173

116

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In this context, the assignment of euthermic levels of metabolism for the full 39 h will overestimate roosting costs if goldfinches display hypothermia during this period. Although winter-acclimatized goldfinches have been reported to conserve energy through nocturnal hypothermia (Lustick et al 1982), these results are difficult to reconcile with measurements obtained from Michigan birds (Dawson and Carey 1976;Buttemer 1981). The body temperatures recorded for goldfinches exposed to 0 ~ C are approximately 6 ~ C lower in the former than those of the latter studies, whereas the metabolic rates differ by less than 2%.…”

Section: Estimates Of Roosting Endurancementioning

confidence: 84%

Energy relations of winter roost-site utilization by American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis)

Buttemer

1985

Oecologia

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American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) were observed roosting in Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), which comprised part of a mixed stand of conifers. Their winter roost-sites were distally situated among the most densely-needled branches on the leeward sides of these trees. Heated and unheated taxidermic goldfinch mounts were placed within these sites and at the same height in an adjacent clearing. The radiative and convective characteristics of these locations were monitored simultaneously and compared to predicted power requirements of live goldfinches (based on laboratory calibration of heated mounts) and operative temperatures (T ; based on body temperatures of unheated mounts). The winter roost-sites significantly reduced radiative and convective heat exchanges between goldfinches and the environment. Based on body composition data for winter goldfinches, all but two birds sampled could endure a 15-h roost period at average overnight T 's as low as-40°C. In contrast, if these birds were prevented from feeding the following day, only 30% could survive the imposition of a 39-h fast at average T 's of-2°C. Winter roost-site selection may be more constrained by thermoregulatory considerations in small birds than in larger species.

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Substrate concentrations and turnover of plasma glucose during cold exposure in seasonally acclimatized house finches,Carpodacus mexicanus

1984

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Energy exchange in the winter acclimatized american goldfinch, Carduelis (Spinus) tristis

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

Predation Risk and Fasting Capacity: Do Wintering Birds Maintain Optimal Body Mass?

Predation Risk and Fasting Capacity: Do Wintering Birds Maintain Optimal Body Mass?

Energy relations of winter roost-site utilization by American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis)

Substrate concentrations and turnover of plasma glucose during cold exposure in seasonally acclimatized house finches,Carpodacus mexicanus

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