I photographed Cedar Waxwings for the first time this afternoon (Thanks to Mike Lotito for the awesome location) and all of the birds had their beaks open 98% of the time. At first I thought I was disturbing them, but when I retreated to my car they continued this action... Mike's photos that he has shown me all show the birds with their beaks closed.
My guess is this is similar to a dog panting, as the temp was 100* (at 5:00 PM mind you) which is an extremely high temperature on Long Island. Anyone else seen this behavior?
Yep, seen it in everything from Chickadees through to crows and ravens and even Cedar Waxwings (but I have to admit I've never seen a Panting Waxwing - matter of a fact I've never heard even heard of this species! ). As you guessed, it is a behavioural mechanism that aids cooling (oops...hopefully that comment wasn't too technical and lacking in creativity!)
Cheers...
Brad
PS: Read (and added to) the thread you started about posting tech specs with images - good on ya' for starting that one!
Luke---Science backs you up. In birds it's call "gular fluttering," a term that I had to Google to make sure I had remembered correctly from my college bird class almost 50 years ago. It has the same cooling purpose and effect as panting in mammals
---John
Birds, lacking the ability to cool by evaporation of sweat, rely on other methods. Non-waterfowl avian species have two mechanisms for dissipating body heat, panting, and gular flutter. Panting relies on evaporative cooling of moisture from the linings of the extensive air sac system - part of the bird's respiratory system. The action of rapid breathing to increase the unidirectional air flow through the air sacs is true "panting" and is more efficient at dissipating body heat than is mammalian panting.
The phenomenon of "gular flutter" is localized rapid contraction and relaxation of the thin ventral wall of the ventral wall of the pharynx to move air specifically across its moist lining ...also for cooling purposes. The gular region (the pharyngeal/upper throat region at and below the base of the open beak ) visibly oscillates rapidly up-and-down, hence "flutters." Lotsa hot birds do it!
Discussion
4 repliesMy guess is this is similar to a dog panting, as the temp was 100* (at 5:00 PM mind you) which is an extremely high temperature on Long Island. Anyone else seen this behavior?
- Luke
Yep, seen it in everything from Chickadees through to crows and ravens and even Cedar Waxwings (but I have to admit I've never seen a Panting Waxwing - matter of a fact I've never heard even heard of this species!
Cheers...
Brad
PS: Read (and added to) the thread you started about posting tech specs with images - good on ya' for starting that one!
I saw it panting... I swear...
I saw it panting... I swear... "
Luke---Science backs you up. In birds it's call "gular fluttering," a term that I had to Google to make sure I had remembered correctly from my college bird class almost 50 years ago. It has the same cooling purpose and effect as panting in mammals
---John
The phenomenon of "gular flutter" is localized rapid contraction and relaxation of the thin ventral wall of the ventral wall of the pharynx to move air specifically across its moist lining ...also for cooling purposes. The gular region (the pharyngeal/upper throat region at and below the base of the open beak ) visibly oscillates rapidly up-and-down, hence "flutters." Lotsa hot birds do it!
Dave Graham
East River, South Dakota