Bird energetics: effects of artificial radiation.
Radiant energy reduces oxygen consumption in birds; this reduction is correlated with feather color, being greater in dark birds (26 percent reduction) than in white ones (6 percent reduction). With radiant energy (basking), the cow-bird effectively increased its insulation, thus shifting the lower end of the zone of thermal neutrality down by as much as 10 degrees C (35 degrees to 25 degrees C).
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D005241:Feathers; D007259:Infrared Rays; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010858:Pigmentation; D011830:Radiation Effects; D013053:Spectrophotometry