Evaporative Water Losses of Some Australian Parrots
1965; Oxford University Press; Volume: 82; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/4082802
ISSN1938-4254
Autores Tópico(s)Bird parasitology and diseases
ResumoEvaporative water losses of some Australian parrots.--Study of species representing five orders (Galliformes, Columbiformes, Strigiformes, Caprimulgiformes, and Passeriformes) indicates that weight-relative evaporative water loss by birds at moderate temperatures (ca. 25 ø C) varies inversely with body size and, at least in species weighing less than 150 g, exceeds metabolic production of water (G. A. Bartholomew and W. R. Dawson, Physiol.Zob'l., 26: 162-166, 1953).Subsequent measurements of additional species in these orders (summarized by G. A. Bartholomew and T. J. Cade, Auk, 80: 504-539, 1963) confirm these findings.It is now appropriate to extend observations of evaporative losses to other orders.Consequently, I took advantage of opportunities to perform some simultaneous measurements of evaporative water losses and metabolic rates of several Australian parrots.Two Bourke Parrots (Neophema bourkii), a Rock Parrot (N.petrophila), a Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), and a "Twenty-eight" Parrot (Platycercus zonarius) were studied.Considerable variation exists among these species in ecological preferences, according to D. L. Serventy and H. M. Whittell (Birds o/ Western Australia, Perth, Paterson Brokensha Pry. Ltd., 1962, third edit.) and N. W. Cayley (What bird is that?Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1959, third edit.
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