Bachman GC, Chappell MA
Biology Department, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, U.S.A.
Anim Behav. 1998 Jun;55(6):1607-18. doi: 10.1006/anbe.1997.0719.
This study presents data relevant to the hypothesis that the energy expenditure associated with begging influences the signalling of need by nestling birds. We used open-circuit respirometry to measure the energy costs of resting, begging and non-begging activities in nestling house wrens, Troglodytes aedon, ranging in age from 1 to 11 days post-hatching. Across all ages, begging caused a 27% increase in metabolism above resting rates. The metabolic rate during begging was not related to begging vigour. However, more vigorous begs were longer and so required a greater total energy expenditure. We analysed videotapes of broods for nestling behavioural time budgets which were combined with the metabolic data and data on growth at different ages to generate daily energy budgets. Over a 24-h period, the cumulative energy allocated to begging was slight, ranging from 0.02% of the energy budget in younger nestlings (3 days old) to 0.22% in older ones (10 days old). In contrast, non-begging movements accounted for 2 and 9% of the daily energy budget of younger and older nestlings, respectively. Relative to daily growth, the energy allocated to begging was equivalent to 0.05% (younger nestlings) and 2.3% (older nestlings) of the energy sequestered in new tissue, whereas the values for non-begging activities were 5.1 and 96.8%, respectively. These results suggest that the energetic cost of begging is not likely to have a substantial role in influencing communication of need by nestlings. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Copyright 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
雏鸟乞食所消耗的能量会影响其需求信号的传递。我们使用开路呼吸测量法，测量了孵化后1至11日龄的家鹪鹩（Troglodytes aedon）雏鸟休息、乞食和非乞食活动的能量消耗。在所有年龄段中，乞食导致新陈代谢比休息时的速率增加了27%。乞食时的代谢率与乞食活力无关。然而，更激烈的乞食持续时间更长，因此需要消耗更多的总能量。我们分析了雏鸟行为时间分配的录像带，并将其与代谢数据以及不同年龄的生长数据相结合，以生成每日能量预算。在24小时内，分配给乞食的累积能量很少，从较年幼雏鸟（3日龄）能量预算的0.02%到较年长雏鸟（10日龄）的0.22%不等。相比之下，非乞食活动分别占较年幼和较年长雏鸟每日能量预算的2%和9%。相对于每日生长，分配给乞食的能量相当于新组织中储存能量的0.05%（较年幼雏鸟）和2.3%（较年长雏鸟），而非乞食活动的相应数值分别为5.1%和96.8%。这些结果表明，乞食的能量消耗不太可能在影响雏鸟需求交流方面发挥重要作用。版权所有1998动物行为研究协会。版权所有1998动物行为研究协会。
