Effects of wing area reduction on winter body mass and foraging behaviour in coal tits: field and aviary experiments

2006 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 663-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis M. Carrascal ◽  
Vicente Polo
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Wing Area ◽  
Area Reduction

Effect of Daily Body Mass Variation on the Foraging Behaviour of Tit Species (Parus spp.)

Ethology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 109 (12) ◽  
pp. 971-979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Barluenga ◽  
Andrés Barbosa ◽  
Eulalia Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Mass Variation

Large Hind Wings Enhance Gliding Performance in Ground Effect in a Neotropical Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 113 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Stylman ◽  
Carla M Penz ◽  
Phil DeVries
Keyword(s):  
Potential Role ◽  
Hind Wing ◽  
Beat Frequency ◽  
Ground Effect ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Laboratory Setting ◽  
Wing Area ◽  
Area Reduction ◽  
Gliding Flight

Abstract Neotropical butterflies in the nymphalid genera Pierella Herrich-Schäffer, 1865 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) and Cithaerias Hübner, 1819 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) are known to glide near ground level, and have a high forewing aspect ratio. The hind wings of Pierella are proportionately larger than those of Cithaerias, suggesting a potential role in gliding flight. We show that Pierella helvina (Hewitson, 1860) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) is capable of gliding for longer periods of time than Cithaerias pireta (Stoll, 1780) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) both in the field and a laboratory setting. Experimental reduction of hind wing area in P. helvina led to a decrease in male gliding performance, and an increase in female wing-beat frequency. We also found that escape velocity decreased in both sexes after hind wing area reduction, but the effect was strongest in females. Although the increased drag associated with large hind wings could be detrimental to gliding flight, the large hind wing area of P. helvina effectively enhances gliding performance in ground effect. This study is the first to investigate the role of hind wings on butterfly gliding performance.

The moment of inertia of bird wings and the inertial power requirement for flapping flight

1995 ◽  
Vol 198 (8) ◽  
pp. 1655-1664 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Berg ◽  
J Rayner
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Power Loss ◽  
Wing Length ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Moment Of Inertia ◽  
Inertial Effects ◽  
Metabolic Power ◽  
Wing Area ◽  
Power Requirement ◽  
The Moment

The agility and manoeuvrability of a flying animal and the inertial power required to flap the wings are related to the moment of inertia of the wings. The moments of inertia of the wings of 29 bird species and three bat species were determined using wing strip analysis. We also measured wing length, wing span, wing area, wing mass and body mass. A strong correlation (r2=0.997) was found between the moment of inertia and the product of wing mass and the square of wing length. Using this relationship, it was found that all birds that use their wings for underwater flight had a higher than average moment of inertia. Assuming sinusoidal wing movement, the inertial power requirement was found to be proportional to (body mass)0.799, an exponent close to literature values for both metabolic power output and minimum power required for flight. Ignoring wing retraction, a fairly approximate estimate showed that the inertial power required is 11­15 % of the minimum flight power. If the kinetic energy of the wings is partly converted into aerodynamic (useful) work at stroke reversal, the power loss due to inertial effects may be smaller.

Sex-Specific Foraging Behaviour of Adult Whiskered TernsChlidonias hybridain Response to Body Mass and Offspring Age

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Gwiazda ◽  
Mateusz Ledwoń ◽  
Grzegorz Neubauer
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Foraging Behaviour

scholarly journals Early-life begging effort reduces adult body mass but strengthens behavioural defence of the rate of energy intake in European starlings

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 171918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathon Dunn ◽  
Clare Andrews ◽  
Daniel Nettle ◽  
Melissa Bateson
Keyword(s):  
Energy Intake ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Developmental History ◽  
European Starlings ◽  
Alternative Strategies ◽  
Adult Body Mass ◽  
Adult Body ◽  
Foraging Task

Animals require strategies for coping with periods when food is scarce. Such strategies include storing fat as a buffer, and defending the rate of energy intake by changing foraging behaviour when food becomes difficult to obtain. Storage and behavioural defence may constitute alternative strategies for solving the same problem. We would thus expect any developmental influences that limit fat storage in adulthood to also induce a compensatory alteration in adult foraging behaviour, specifically when food is hard to obtain. In a cohort of hand-reared European starlings, we found that higher manipulated early-life begging effort caused individuals to maintain consistently lower adult body mass over a period of two years. Using an operant foraging task in which we systematically varied the costs of obtaining food, we show that higher early-life begging effort also caused stronger behavioural defence of the rate of energy intake when food was more costly to obtain. Among individuals with the same developmental history, however, those individuals who defended their rate of energy intake most strongly were also the heaviest. Our results are relevant to understanding why there are marked differences in body weight and foraging behaviour even among individuals inhabiting the same environment.

Morphometrics of Flightlessness in the Alcidae

The Auk ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 681-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley C. Livezey
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Large Core ◽  
Wing Area ◽  
Alca Torda ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Mass Estimate ◽  
Recent Species ◽  
Extreme Specialization

Abstract Data collected from skin specimens of the 23 Recent species of Alcidae, skeletal material for Recent and fossil alcids, and published data on body mass and wing area were used to describe the morphometric characteristics of flightlessness in the Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis) and the fossil mancalline auks. A regression equation confirmed a body-mass estimate (5 kg) for P. impennis (Bédard 1969). The size and relatively small wings produced wing-loading of roughly 22 g· cm-2, comparable to those of medium-sized penguins. Multivariate analysis of external measurements underscored the uniquely large size, relatively short wings, and moderately deep bill of Pinguinus compared to other Recent alcids. Analysis of skeletal measurements revealed that the genera of flightless Alcidae (Pinguinus, Mancalla, Praemancalla, and Alcodes) were characterized by relatively short distal wing elements and dorsoventral flattening of all major wing elements, in combination with relatively large core and pelvic dimensions. These differences were most pronounced in Mancalla, moderately developed in Praemancalla, and smallest in Pinguinus. Estimated body mass (1-4 kg) for selected fossil mancallines exceeded the largest flighted alcids (Uria) but was less than for Pinguinus. Pinguinus was a comparatively large piscivore sharing many morphological features with the Razorbill (Alca torda) and murres (Uria spp.). Its flightlessness evidently was a consequence of extreme specialization for pursuit diving, convergent with that of the Spheniscidae. Loss of flight imposed significant requirements on breeding sites and foraging habitats of the Great Auk and presumably the mancallines, and rendered Pinguinus exceptionally vulnerable to human exploitation.

Effects of body mass on the foraging behaviour of subordinate Coal Tits Parus ater

Ibis ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 142 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDRÉS BARBOSA ◽  
MARTA BARLUENGA ◽  
EULALIA MORENO
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Parus Ater

scholarly journals Experimental Wing Damage Affects Foraging Effort and Foraging Distance in HoneybeesApis mellifera

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew D. Higginson ◽  
Christopher J. Barnard ◽  
Adam Tofilski ◽  
Luis Medina ◽  
Francis Ratnieks
Keyword(s):  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Foraging Efficiency ◽  
Wing Area ◽  
Foraging Effort ◽  
Nectar Sources ◽  
Colony Performance ◽  
Foraging Ability ◽  
Wing Damage ◽  
Worker Behaviour

Bees acquire wing damage as they age, and loss of wing area affects longevity and behaviour. This may influence colony performance via effects on worker behaviour. The effects of experimental wing damage were studied in worker honeybees in observation hives by recording survivorship, how often and for how long bees foraged, and by decoding waggle dances. Mortality rate increased with both age and wing damage. Damaged bees carried out shorter and/or less frequent foraging trips, foraged closer to the hive, and reported the profitability of flower patches to be lower than did controls. These results suggest that wing damage caused a reduction in foraging ability, and that damaged bees adjusted their foraging behaviour accordingly. Furthermore, the results suggest that wing damage affects the profitability of nectar sources. These results have implications for the colony dynamics and foraging efficiency in honeybees.

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