Shade seeking by Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) nestlings at the scale of the nanoclimate

Glassey, Barb; Amos, Molly Middlebrook

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2008.11.004

Cited by 4 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Our results highlight the importance of nanoclimate selection (accessing shade) by nestling grackles in successfully regulating their body temperature in a heterogeneous nest environment, supporting our previous suggestion (Glassey & Amos ) that thermally directed movements are an adaptive response to the variable thermal and radiative environment of the open‐cup nest. The field and laboratory experiments reported here suggest that nestlings use shade seeking as a strategy to mitigate the effect of solar radiation on heat gain and energy expenditure.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…In a heterogeneous environment, grackle nestlings regulated body temperature behaviourally by initiating whole‐body movements when exposed to sun and stopping movement when their heads were oriented to the shade, consistent with the interpretation of head‐shading as a thermoregulatory strategy previously described by Glassey & Amos (). Whereas nestlings exposed to a homogeneous shade environment do not initiate movement or adjust their orientation (Glassey & Amos ), nestlings without access to shade (homogeneous sun environment) moved throughout the experiment, in agreement with earlier anecdotal observations of apparently heat‐stressed nestlings in full sun (Morton & Carey ; Murphy ). Laboratory results confirmed an energetic cost associated with unsuccessful shade seeking movements.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…In a heterogeneous environment, grackle nestlings regulated body temperature behaviourally by initiating whole-body movements when exposed to sun and stopping movement when their heads were oriented to the shade, consistent with the interpretation of head-shading as a thermoregulatory strategy previously described by Glassey & Amos (2009). Whereas nestlings exposed to a homogeneous shade environment do not initiate movement or adjust their orientation (Glassey & Amos 2009), nestlings without access to shade (homogeneous sun environment) (a) (b) Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

“…Under natural conditions, direct exposure to solar radiation quickly elicits heat stress behaviour, including panting and non-begging movements such as jostling and shade seeking (including neck stretching and wholebody movements) (Morton & Carey 1971;Gotie & Kroll 1973;Lustick, Battersby & Kelty 1979;Rauter, Reyer & Bollmann 2002;Glassey & Amos 2009). In red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) nestlings, optimal temperature-dependent performance at the tissue (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Context‐dependent costs and constraints of begging and non‐begging activity by common grackle nestlings at the scale of the nanoclimate

2014

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Summary1. Environmental factors such as heat and solar radiation directly affect the open-cup nest environment and can impact nestling body temperature. 2. The aim of our research was to understand how open-cup passerine nestlings use behavioural thermoregulation to mitigate solar heat gain and to measure the metabolic cost of begging and non-begging activity under three light treatments: room light (<2 Wm À2 ), simulated shade (500 Wm À2 ) and simulated sun (1000 Wm À2 ). Our study coupled behavioural (field) and physiological (laboratory) experiments to explore the adaptive behavioural response of passerine nestlings to nest cup nanoclimates (sun and shade), using the common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) as a model species.3. Non-begging behaviour was evaluated in the field by randomly assigning nestlings to a homogeneous (all sun) or heterogeneous (sun and shade) nest environment; measuring body temperature (T b ); and identifying behaviours from videotaped footage. The T b of nestlings without access to shade was significantly higher, and nestlings spent more time moving and panting, suggesting an increased metabolic expenditure. To test this, we duplicated the insolation nanoclimate under laboratory conditions using a 1Á0 KW Sciencetech Illumination System and measured the energetic cost of begging and non-begging activity using open-system respirometry on non-irradiated and irradiated nestlings. Our results suggest that, in grackle nestlings, the relationship between activity (begging and non-begging) and energy expenditure is context-dependent. 4. Our results identified: (i) a reduction in energy expenditure associated with accessing the shade; (ii) expenditure on non-begging activity equalled or exceeded expenditure on begging activity; and (iii) a potential behavioural constraint on begging imposed by exposure to a homogeneous sun environment (sun without access to shade). The combination of contextdependent costs and constraints suggests the potential for strategic costs associated with the heterogeneous nest environment.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Context‐dependent costs and constraints of begging and non‐begging activity by common grackle nestlings at the scale of the nanoclimate

2014

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“…Grackle chicks exhibit shade seeking behavior, moving around the edges of the nest in attempts to keep their highly vascularized heads shaded. These chicks also orient their bodies toward the sun to diminish absorptive surface area which is a behavior also seen in chicks of Ferruginous hawks, gulls, and adult titmice and chickadees (Glassey & Amos, 2009;Tomback & Murphy, 1981Bartholomew & Dawson, 1954Wood & Lustick, 1989in Glassey & Amos 2009. Moderating heat load is extremely important, especially by nestlings and small passerines, for without such behavior or access to shade in high T A s small birds can succumb to heat stress within 20 min (Glassey & Amos, 2009).…”

Section: Birdsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Effects of Solar Radiation on Animal Thermoregulation

Norris¹,

Kunz²

2012

Solar Radiation

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Temporal and Spatial Complexity of Maternal Thermoregulation in Tropical Pythons

Stahlschmidt¹,

Shine²,

DeNardo³

2012

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

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Parental care is a widespread adaptation that evolved independently in a broad range of taxa. Although the dynamics by which two parents meet the developmental needs of offspring are well studied in birds, we lack understanding about the temporal and spatial complexity of parental care in taxa exhibiting female-only care, the predominant mode of parental care. Thus, we examined the behavioral and physiological mechanisms by which female water pythons Liasis fuscus meet a widespread developmental need (thermoregulation) in a natural setting. Although female L. fuscus were not facultatively thermogenic, they did use behaviors on multiple spatial scales (e.g., shifts in egg-brooding postures and surface activity patterns) to balance the thermal needs of their offspring throughout reproduction (gravidity and egg brooding). Maternal behaviors in L. fuscus varied by stage within reproduction and were mediated by interindividual variation in body size and fecundity. Female pythons with relatively larger clutch sizes were cooler during egg brooding, suggesting a trade-off between reproductive quantity (size of clutch) and quality (developmental temperature). In nature, caregiving parents of all taxa must navigate both extrinsic factors (temporal and spatial complexity) and intrinsic factors (body size and fecundity) to meet the needs of their offspring. Our study used a comprehensive approach that can be used as a general template for future research examining the dynamics by which parents meet other developmental needs (e.g., predation risk or energy balance).

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Shade seeking by Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) nestlings at the scale of the nanoclimate

Cited by 4 publications

References 34 publications

Context‐dependent costs and constraints of begging and non‐begging activity by common grackle nestlings at the scale of the nanoclimate

Context‐dependent costs and constraints of begging and non‐begging activity by common grackle nestlings at the scale of the nanoclimate

Effects of Solar Radiation on Animal Thermoregulation

Temporal and Spatial Complexity of Maternal Thermoregulation in Tropical Pythons

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