QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by CRAIG, A. Articles by LAROCHELLE, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by CRAIG, A. Articles by LAROCHELLE, J.

Journal of Experimental Biology 155,193-202 (1991)
Published by Company of Biologists 1991

The Cooling Power of Pigeon Wings

ALBERT CRAIG ¹ and JACQUES LAROCHELLE ¹

¹ Département de Biologie, Université Laval Québec, Canada, G1K 7P4

The rate of heat loss through the stretched wings (H_wings) was studied in resting pigeons preheated to a body temperature (43.7°C) within the range of those recorded during flight. The experimental system was designed to allow the calculation of H_wings from the increase in whole-body cooling rates resulting from exposure of the wings to various wind speeds (0–50 km h^-1) at 23°C. The maximum value of H_Wings was 3.8 W, less than twice the heat production of a resting pigeon. This indicates that the contribution of the wings to heat dissipation during flight may not be nearly as important as has been supposed. At low windspeeds (0–12.5 km h^-1), H_Wings corresponded to about 40% of the resting rate of heat production, and this value is discussed in connection with the various wing postures observed in hyperthermic birds.

Key words: birds, pigeon, temperature regulation, wings, wind, flight, Columba livia

Accepted on July 31, 1990

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Ward, U. Moller, J. M. V. Rayner, D. M. Jackson, W. Nachtigall, and J. R. Speakman Metabolic power of European starlings Sturnus vulgaris during flight in a wind tunnel, estimated from heat transfer modelling, doubly labelled water and mask respirometry J. Exp. Biol., November 15, 2004; 207(24): 4291 - 4298. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S Ward, J. Rayner, U MOLler, D. Jackson, W Nachtigall, and J. Speakman Heat transfer from starlings sturnus vulgaris during flight J. Exp. Biol., January 6, 1999; 202(12): 1589 - 1602. [Abstract]