Evaporative water loss and dehydration during the night in hummingbirds

Bakken, BH; Sabat P.

Abstract

Nectar-feeding birds oscillate between avoiding overhydration when they are feeding and preventing dehydration during fasts. Here, we examined how resting rates of total evaporative water loss (TEWL) and metabolic water production (MWP) influence water balance in the green-backed firecrown (Sephanoides sephanoides), a Chilean hummingbird. We hypothesized that a circadian rhythm in TEWL would assuage the dehydration risk that hummingbirds face during the night. However, we did not find support for this idea. In resting hummingbirds, rates of TEWL during the day (54

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Título según WOS: Evaporative water loss and dehydration during the night in hummingbirds
Título según SCOPUS: Evaporative water loss and dehydration during the night in hummingbirds
Título según SCIELO: Evaporative water loss and dehydration during the night in hummingbirds
Título de la Revista: Revista chilena de historia natural
Volumen: 80
Número: 3
Editorial: Sociedad de Biología de Chile
Fecha de publicación: 2007
Página de inicio: 267
Página final: 273
Idioma: English
DOI:

10.4067/S0716-078X2007000300001

Notas: ISI, SCIELO, SCOPUS