10.5061/DRYAD.FS375
Carr, Jennie M.
Indiana State University
Lima, Steven L.
Indiana State University
Data from: Nocturnal hypothermia impairs flight ability in birds: a cost
of being cool
Dryad
dataset
2014
antipredator behaviour
Zenaida macroura
nocturnal hypothermia
flight ability
2014-10-08T00:00:00Z
2014-10-08T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.1846
10959 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Many birds use regulated drops in night-time body temperature (Tb) to
conserve energy critical to winter survival. However, a significant degree
of hypothermia may limit a bird's ability to respond to predatory
attack. Despite this likely energy–predation trade-off, the behavioural
costs of avian hypothermia have yet to be examined. We thus monitored the
nocturnal hypothermia of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) in a laboratory
setting in response to food deprivation. Nocturnal flight tests were used
to quantify the flight ability of hypothermic doves. Many hypothermic
doves (39% of tests) could not fly while carrying a small weight, but
could do so after quickly warming up to typical daytime Tb. Doves that
were unable to fly during their first test were more hypothermic than
those that could fly, with average Tb reductions of 5.3°C and 3.3°C,
respectively, but there was no overall indication of a threshold Tb
reduction beyond which doves were consistently incapable of flight. These
results suggest that energy-saving hypothermia interferes with avian
antipredator behaviour via a reduction in flight ability, likely leading
to a trade-off between energy-saving hypothermia and the risk of
predation.
Carr & Lima dove flight dataData for all hypothermic mourning
doves subjected to flight tests and included in our analyses. The variable
"Dep #" corresponds to the duration of the food-deprivation
period (1 - 3 days). The variable "Flight #" represents the
number of the flight test during each deprivation night, listed in
sequential order within Dep #. "Tb drop" denotes the drop in
body temperature compared to normal daytime body temperature for each
bird. Lastly, "Flight (1/0)" codes for a bird's ability to
fly during each flight test (1 = fly-capable; 0 = no flight).Carr
& Lima MODO data.xlsx