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Extreme Heat Is Genuinely Stressful for Southern Pied Babblers Seemed to Have Got Over the Preceding Heatwave

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Extreme Heat Is Genuinely Stressful for Southern Pied Babblers Seemed to Have Got Over the Preceding Heatwave © 2021. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd | Journal of Experimental Biology (2021) 224, jeb242790. doi:10.1242/jeb.242790 INSIDE JEB Extreme heat is genuinely stressful for southern pied babblers seemed to have got over the preceding heatwave. But Susie Cunningham from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, warns that the risk from high temperatures can set in even before air temperatures reach a blistering 38°C. ‘Babblers typically lose ∼4% of body mass overnight, with reduced foraging success on hot days above 35.5°C, creating conditions under which they may fail to regain those loses, resulting in progressive loss of condition during periods of sustained hot weather’, she says. A Southern pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor) parent feeding a fledgling. Photo credit: Nicholas Pattinson. So, super-hot days are more than just a bit uncomfortable for desert-dwelling babblers, they are positively stressful On days when it just feels too hot, it’sgood Heading out to the Kuruman River and the team suggests that scientists to find a pool to lounge by. But as the Reserve in the Kalahari Desert, Moagi keep track of bird stress hormone levels mercury climbs, most creatures don’thave and Amanda Bourne from the University to spot when species are really beginning that luxury. Southern pied babblers of Cape Town, South Africa, collected to struggle. Andrew McKechnie from (Turdoides bicolor) have to keep going, almost 900 fresh droppings from more the University of Pretoria, South Africa, foraging and caring for their young. But as than 70 babblers over a 4 month period says, ‘Quantifying heat stress could temperatures rise further, the birds from in summer temperatures ranging from prove a useful tool for managers and southern Africa begin to struggle, lose 28 to 41°C. ‘The babblers are colour- conservationists seeking to evaluate the weight and, at temperatures above 38°C, ringed for individual identification effect of management interventions such are even unable to breed. Are these and thoroughly habituated to the presence as supplementary feeding or the provision overheated birds experiencing the kind of of researchers, allowing observation of of artificial water or shade, particularly for stress usually associated with physical the birds from distances of just a few threatened range-restricted species in hot threats, such as an attack? ‘Stress responses metres’, says Amanda Ridley of the climates’. mediated by hormones are a vital University of Western Australia, who ’ component of an animal s reactions to established the study population in the 10.1242/jeb.242790 hazards’, says Lesedi Moagi from early 2000s. Back in the lab, Moagi Tshwane University of Technology, South measured the level of stress hormone Moagi, L. L, Bourne, A. R., Cunningham, S. J., Africa, adding that the brief hormone breakdown products in the birds’ faeces Jansen, R., Ngcamphalala, C. A., Ganswindt, bursts triggered when an animal feels A., Ridley, A. R. and McKechnie, A. E. (2021). and discovered that the birds were really Hot days are associated with short-term threatened release essential energy to help beginning to suffer at temperatures over adrenocortical responses in a southern African them to evade peril. The question was, do 38°C; their stress hormone levels had arid-zone passerine bird. J. Exp. Biol. 224, extreme high temperatures trigger the same climbed dramatically. However, when jeb242535. doi:10.1242/jeb.242535 physiological response as physical risks in the team checked the poo for signs of Kathryn Knight wild southern pied babblers? distress the following day, the babblers [email protected] Inside JEB highlights the key developments in Journal of Experimental Biology. Written by science journalists, each short report gives the inside view of the science in JEB. Journal of Experimental Biology 1.
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