
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Battley, Phil F. 
A1  - Rogers, Danny I. 
A1  - Piersma, Theunis 
A1  - Koolhaas, Anita 
T1  - Behavioural evidence for heat-load problems in Great Knots in tropical Australia fuelling for long-distance flight
JF  - Emu
JO  - EMU
Y1  - 2003
VL  - 103
IS  - 2
SP  - 97
EP  - 103
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/MU02017 
N2  - Migratory shorebirds that live in the tropics prior to embarking on long (&#62;5000 km) flights may face heat-load problems. The behaviour of a large sandpiper, the Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris), was studied in Roebuck Bay, north-west Australia, from February to April 2000. We determined the incidence of heat-reduction behaviour in foraging and roosting birds in relation to breeding-plumage score (an index of migratory preparation) and microclimate variables. Heat-reduction behaviour (primarily raising the back feathers) was significantly related to breeding-plumage score and solar radiation. Raising back feathers may reduce the external heat load for a bird, or increase convective or cutaneous evaporative cooling. The results suggest that managing heat loads in tropical-wintering waders may become more difficult close to departure on migration. 
ER  -

