Wild white-capped noddies keep a cool head in a heated situation

Abstract

Sunning, or sunbathing, is a behavior observed in diverse birds from at least 50 taxonomic families. While sunning, birds exhibit signs of heat stress, notably panting, indicating a risk of overheating. Given that even modest increases in brain temperature can impair brain function, sunning birds may have mechanisms that selectively cool the brain. Sunning birds could cool the brain using active physiological mechanisms (e.g., an ophthalmic rete or sleeping) or passive adaptations, such as light-colored plumage over the cranium. White-capped noddies are tropical seabirds that sunbathe in direct sunlight on cloudless days. Using infrared thermography on wild birds, we found that the white cap is 20 °C cooler than that of the black back while sunning. A deceased bird showed the same thermal profile, indicating that this difference arises from dichromatic coloration and not underlying physiology. Thus, the white cap may extend the duration of time noddies can sunbathe and keep the brain cool, near core body temperature, while allowing the rest of the body to heat up, perhaps to displace or kill parasites.

Keywords: Coloration; Dichromatism; Infrared thermography; Sunbathing; Thermoregulation; Tropics.