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High basal metabolic rates of shorebirds while in the arctic: A circumpolar view

Lindström, Åke LU orcid and Klaassen, M (2003) In The Condor: ornithological applications 105(3). p.420-427
Abstract
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) of Old World long-distance-migrant shorebirds has been found to vary along their migration route. On average, BMR is highest in the Arctic at the start of fall migration, intermediate at temperate latitudes, and lowest on the tropical wintering grounds. As a test of the generality of this pattern, we measured the BMR of one adult and 44 juvenile shorebirds of 10 species (1-18 individuals of each species, body-mass range 19-94 g) during the first part of their southward migration in the Canadian Arctic (68-76degreesN). The interspecific relationship between BMR and body mass was almost identical to that found for juvenile shorebirds in the Eurasian Arctic (5 species), although only one species appeared in both... (More)
The basal metabolic rate (BMR) of Old World long-distance-migrant shorebirds has been found to vary along their migration route. On average, BMR is highest in the Arctic at the start of fall migration, intermediate at temperate latitudes, and lowest on the tropical wintering grounds. As a test of the generality of this pattern, we measured the BMR of one adult and 44 juvenile shorebirds of 10 species (1-18 individuals of each species, body-mass range 19-94 g) during the first part of their southward migration in the Canadian Arctic (68-76degreesN). The interspecific relationship between BMR and body mass was almost identical to that found for juvenile shorebirds in the Eurasian Arctic (5 species), although only one species appeared in both data sets. We conclude that high BMR of shorebirds in the Arctic is a circumpolar phenomenon. The most likely explanation is that the high BMR reflects physiological adaptations to low ambient temperatures. Whether the BMR of New World shorebirds drops during southward migration remains to be investigated. (Less)
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author
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
The Condor: ornithological applications
volume
105
issue
3
pages
420 - 427
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000184561100002
  • scopus:0042631074
ISSN
0010-5422
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
38a5cb54-2aed-418a-9ae8-b117a18c0e7f (old id 137221)
alternative location
http://www.bioone.org/bioone/?request=get-abstract&issn=0010-5422&volume=105&issue=03&page=0420
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:57:04
date last changed
2022-01-28 08:16:56
@article{38a5cb54-2aed-418a-9ae8-b117a18c0e7f,
  abstract     = {{The basal metabolic rate (BMR) of Old World long-distance-migrant shorebirds has been found to vary along their migration route. On average, BMR is highest in the Arctic at the start of fall migration, intermediate at temperate latitudes, and lowest on the tropical wintering grounds. As a test of the generality of this pattern, we measured the BMR of one adult and 44 juvenile shorebirds of 10 species (1-18 individuals of each species, body-mass range 19-94 g) during the first part of their southward migration in the Canadian Arctic (68-76degreesN). The interspecific relationship between BMR and body mass was almost identical to that found for juvenile shorebirds in the Eurasian Arctic (5 species), although only one species appeared in both data sets. We conclude that high BMR of shorebirds in the Arctic is a circumpolar phenomenon. The most likely explanation is that the high BMR reflects physiological adaptations to low ambient temperatures. Whether the BMR of New World shorebirds drops during southward migration remains to be investigated.}},
  author       = {{Lindström, Åke and Klaassen, M}},
  issn         = {{0010-5422}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{420--427}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{The Condor: ornithological applications}},
  title        = {{High basal metabolic rates of shorebirds while in the arctic: A circumpolar view}},
  url          = {{http://www.bioone.org/bioone/?request=get-abstract&issn=0010-5422&volume=105&issue=03&page=0420}},
  volume       = {{105}},
  year         = {{2003}},
}