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First published online March 2, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 1075-1083 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.02727

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Does the metabolic rate–flight speed relationship vary among geometrically similar birds of different mass?

Matthew W. Bundle^*, Kacia S. Hansen and Kenneth P. Dial

Flight Laboratory, Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA

View larger version (6K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. The metabolic power requirements of flight in budgerigars (A) and cockatiels (B) across a wide range of flight speeds. The gray triangles in A are published values for budgerigars (Tucker, 1968); the curve-fitted gray line was extrapolated to match the current range of flight speeds.

View larger version (12K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Wingbeat frequency (A,C) and duty factor (B,D) during budgerigar (A,B) and cockatiel (C,D) flights with and without a respirometric mask. Wearing a mask did not elicit substantial changes in wingbeat frequency or duty factor for either budgerigars or cockatiels. For the budgerigars, wingbeat frequency and duty factor were nearly constant across flight speed. In contrast, cockatiel wingbeats were roughly 25% longer and had downstroke durations that were relatively shorter at the fastest compared to slowest flight speeds.

View larger version (24K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Use of intermittent flight during wind tunnel flights with (A,C) and without (B,D) the respirometric mask for budgerigars (A,B) and cockatiels (C,D). During free flight both species used intermittent flight at intermediate and fast flight speeds; in contrast, while wearing the mask both species relied almost entirely on continuous flapping flight.

View larger version (37K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. A1. Measured wind speed deviations (in m s–1), from a mean wind tunnel speed of 10.0 m s–1. Measurements were obtained at the vertices of an 8x7 grid that was sampled along three transects located 15, 35 and 55 cm downstream from the front of the test section. The white arrow indicates direction of wind speed.