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First published online November 5, 2004
Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 4291-4298 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
doi: 10.1242/jeb.01281

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Metabolic power of European starlings Sturnus vulgaris during flight in a wind tunnel, estimated from heat transfer modelling, doubly labelled water and mask respirometry

S. Ward^1,*, U. Möller², J. M. V. Rayner³, D. M. Jackson^1,4, W. Nachtigall² and J. R. Speakman^1,4

¹ Aberdeen Centre for Energy Regulation and Obesity, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
² Institüt der Zoologie, Universität des Saarlandes, D-66041 Saarbrücken, Germany
³ School of Biology, L. C. Miall Building, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
⁴ Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB21 9SB, UK

View larger version (13K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Heat transfer by convection (red symbols), evaporation (dark blue symbols) and radiation (pink symbols), and metabolic power (Pmet,heat, black symbols) of four starlings during flight in a wind tunnel at speeds (V) between 6 and 14 m s–1. Different symbols show data from different birds (diamonds, bird 2; triangles, bird 12; circles, bird 15; squares, bird 19; N=5 speeds for each bird). The line shows the regression, Pmet,heat=0.57±0.08V+5.01±0.79, r2adj=0.74, P<0.001, N=20.

View larger version (13K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Metabolic power measured using doubly labelled water (Pmet,DLW) in relation to the flight speed (V) of four starlings during flight in a wind tunnel. The different symbols show data from different birds (diamonds, bird 2, N=7; triangles, bird 12, N=7; circles, bird 15, N=9; squares, bird 19, N=7). The line describes the overall relationship: Pmet,DLW =135.9±23.9V–1+0.0047±0.0012V3–8.47±4.72.Due to the scatter in the data, it is not possible to place any emphasis on the individual data points. Instead, we use a line calculated from the average coefficients across birds to describe the central trend in the data. The coefficients and minimum power speed of this line are only approximate.

View larger version (13K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. The metabolic power of starlings during flight in a wind tunnel calculated using DLW (squares, N=30 flights by 4 birds), heat transfer modelling (crosses, N=20 flights by 4 birds) and mask respirometry excluding the estimated additional cost of carrying the respirometry mask and tube (circles, N=45 flights by 2 birds; data from Ward et al., 2001, 1998).