OWLS

EVAPORATIVE

WATER

LOSS

OF CAPTIVE

COMMON

BARN-OWLS

KIRK L. HAMILTON

ABSTRACT-- Evaporativewaterlossof the CommonBarn-Owl(Tytoalba)wasexaminedat tempexperiencedby these owlsduring incubation.Water lossincreased(P < 0.001) with increasingambienttemp; however,it appearedthat Common Barn-Owlsin Utah would not be heat-stressed during incubation.

The Common Barn-Owl (Tytoalba) readily uses man-made structures(i.e., barns, haylofts,abandoned water towers)as roostingand nesting sites and adaptsquicklyto the useofnestboxes(Otteniet al. 1972; Marti et al. 1979). The use of nestboxesas

nestingsitesprovidesthe barn owl with the advantageouseffectsof the shelterednestboxes(i.e., decreased forced convection,lessdirect exposure to precipitation,and higher than ambienttemp) during incubation(Hamilton 1982). While there may be advantagesfor birds to conduct incubation within nestboxes,higher ambient temp may be a potentialstressor.Birdsmaymitigatethe effectsof heat stressby panting,gular fluttering, or by postural thermoregulatorybehavior(Bartholomewet al. 1968; Weathers 1972; Bartholomew and Dawson 1979; Dawson 1982).

The objectivesof this study were to examine evaporativewater lossof barn owls,and to determine whetherwater lossplaysa crucialrole during incubationat ambienttemp below 32øC. MATERIALS

AND METHODS

on

the

walls

of

a chamber.

Air

inlet

and

outlet

valves

were

positionedon opposite sidesof the chamber to allow airflow through the chamber. After closureof the slidingdoor of the metabolismchamber,a diaphragm pump (dynapump)wasstartedand respiratorygases were pulled through plastictubing and then through a seriesof preweighedU-tubeswhichwere filled with Drierite and weighed to the nearest0.01 g, analyticalbalance.The weightchangein the Drierite equalled the water vapor expired by the owl plus the atmosphericwater vapor. A secondset of Drierite U-tubeswas connectedin parallel to measureatmosphericwater vapor (same pump). The ratesof air flow from the metabolismchamber and the secondsetof tubeswereequal.Water vaporexpiredbytheowl (mg H20/g.h) wascalculatedas the difference in weight between the experimental and control tubes. Air temp inside the metabolismand environmentalchambers was monitored with thermistors (Model No.

1331, Control

Equipment Co., Salt Lake City, Utah) and copper-constantan thermocouplesand recordedon Rustrakchart recorders(Model No. 2133, Control EquipmentCo.) and Wescorthermometers (Model No. TH50 TC, WescorCo., Logan, Utah), respectively Thermistorsand thermocoupleswerecalibratedwith a glassmercury thermometer.Temp wasrecordedevery 15 min. Statisticalanalysisof data presentedhere includedcurvilinear regressionanalysisand paired t-Test. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Two adult owlswere captured in April 1980 at Welder Wildlife

Evaporativewaterlossof barnowlswasexamined over a temp regime (2-30øC)which simulatedambient temp experiencedby incubatingbarn owls

Foundation (Sinton, San Patricio Co., Texas) and a third adult owl

wasobtained from a localraptor rehabilitator(S. Ure, Salt Lake City, Utah). All birds were transportedto the Environmental Physiology Laboratoryat Utah StateUniversity,Logan,Utah. In (Hamilton 1982). 1981, three additionaladult owlswere captured post-incubation To test the physicaleffect of the metabolism (April-May, Brigham City, Box Elder Co., Utah) and likewise chamber in altering the temp experiencedby an transportedto the laboratoryfacilities. All owls(9) werehoused in separate3 x 3 x 2.5 m walk-inenvironmentalchambers.Owls owl, ambient (environmentalchamber) temp and were fed a laboratoryHouse Mouse (Mus musculus) diet and temp of the metabolismchamberwere monitored maintainedon a 12L:12D photoperiodduring all experimental duringeachexperimentaltrial. Experimentaltemp trials.

Evaporativewater lossof 6 captivebarn owlswasmeasuredat wasseparatedinto 3 temp ranges: 0-10øC,11-20øC temp that simulatednestingtemp (2-30øC).An owl was equili- and 21-30øC.In eachtemp range, the temp of the bratedto the testtemp for 2-3 d beforean experimentand fasted metabolismchamberwassignificantlyhigher (P < for 6 h prior to the experiment.Each owl was weighedto the 0.001, pairedt-Test)than the temp of the environnearest 1.0 g on a platform balanceand placed in a metabolism mentalchamber.The temp differencebetweenthe chamber.Owl weightsrangedfrom 527.0-584.4g with a mean metabolism chamber and the environmental valueof 561.3g (_+27.8,S.D.).Metabolism chambers(56 x 46 x 43 cm) were constructedof plywood(1.3 cm) with a plexiglasssliding chamber was greatest(P < 0.001, 2.0øC)at temp door unit (30 x 22 cm, inside dimensions).All edges of the which ranged between0-10øC,and also was sigchamberand door were sealedairtightwith liquid plasticto prevent extraneous

air flow. The wood was varnished

nificantlyhigherfor tempbetween11-20øC(0.7øC)

and the inner

surface of the chamber was covered with a plastic coating to prevent water vapor from being bound hydroscopically to the walls of the metabolism

chamber.

Condensation

was never noted

and 21-30øC (0.6øC). Therefore, owls utilizing nestboxmetabolismchambersexperience higher temp than would be seenif usingopen sites.

122

RAPTORRESEARCH19(4): 122-124

WINTER 1985

COMMON BARN-OWL WATER LOSS

123

8

7 6 owls

6

n=85

r=0.6085

5

P, 0.001

ß ß

ßß ß ß ß

ß

2

ß

I

ß

ßß

ß

ß

ß ß

4

6

8

I0

!

ß

12

!

ß

ß

eqPe

ß

14

Metabolism Chamber Temp(C) Figure1: Waterloss(mg H20/g.h) of 6 captivebarn owls.

Eighty-five measurementsfrom 6 captive barn barn owl in Utah may be ableto conductincubation owlsshowedthat waterloss(mg H20/g.h)increased without an apparent heat stress. significantly(P < 0.001) asambienttemp increased In summary,birds mustcontendwith numerous (Fig. 1). Recent studiesby Wunder (1979), Weath- environmental stressesduring incubation, one of ers (1979,

1981), and Dawson (1982)

have which is heat stress. Some birds utilize roost sites with low heat loads (Barrows 1981), while other

examined climaticadaptation,physiologicalthermoregulation and water loss from birds and the data exhibited by the barn owl does not deviate from establishedpatterns. Water lossof barn owls at ambient temp from 0-20øCis not different than data for non-incubatingpigeons(Lophophops ferruginea)(Dawsonand Bennett 1973)or Burrowing

incubating birds use postural thermoregulatory behavior to reduce heat stress(Lustick et al. 1978, 1979; Bartholomew and Dawson 1979). The barn

owl may escapeheat stressproblemsduring incubation by using nestboxesand by choosinga location where high ambient temp doesnot occur.

Owls (Athenecunicularia)(Coulombe 1970). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Coulombe (1970), Dawson and Bennett (1973) This paperispartof a dissertation submittedto the Department and Weathers(1981) haveshownthat the patternof of Biologyat Utah StateUniversityin partial fulfillment of the evaporativewater lossof birds is an exponential requirementsfbr the Ph.D. degree.I thank membersof my

function. However,water lossis essentiallylinear until approximately 35-40øC at which time birds become heat-stressed(Dawson 1982) and the water

loss increasedexponentially. This is also seen in Figure 1; at temp that mimicsincubationtemp (up to 30øC)water lossof barn owlsis fairly linear and not verysubstantial.However,barn owlsin Utah do not experience nestbox temp greater than 32øC during incubation(Hamilton 1982); therefore, the

graduatecommittee: Drs.J.A. Gessaman,K.L. Dixon, R.T. Sanders, R.P. Sharma and L.C. Ellis. I also thank Dr. A.B. Hamilton

for her help and supportthroughthe years.Thanksto Drs. H.E. Dziuk,J.A. Mosherand oneanonymousrefbreefbr reviewingan earlierversionof thismanuscript.Thanksto Ms. P. Hornbeckand Ms.J. Thorp fbr secretarialassistance. This studywasfundedin partbyan EdwardsH. andWinnieH. SmithFellowship from the WelderWildlifbFoundation(Dr.J.G. Teer, Director),a SigmaXi Grant-in-Aid of Researchaward, and the EcologyCenter, Utah StateUniversity(Dr. F. Wagner,Director).This isWelder Wildlife Foundation

Contribution

No. 282.

124 LITERATURE

KIRK L. HAMILTON CITED

BARROWS,C.W. 1981. ROOSt selection by Spotted Owls: an adaptationto heat stress.Condor83:302-309. BARTHOLOMEW, G.A. AND W.R. DAWSON. 1979. Ther-

moregulatory behavior during incubation in Heermann's Gulls. Physiol.Zool. 52:422-437. BARTHOLOMEW, G.A.,

R.C. LASIEWSKI AND E.G. CRAW-

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1979. Effectsof insulationonjuvenile Herring Gull energetics and behavior. Ecology 60:673-678.

MARTI, 1979.

C.D.,

P.W.

WAGNER

AND

K.W.

DENNE.

NEST BOXES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BARN OWLS.

Wildl. Soc. Bull. 7:145-148.

OTTENI, L.G., E.G. BOLEN AND C. COTTAM. 1972. Pre-

dator-preyrelationshipsand reproductionof the Barn Owl in southernTexas. WilsonBull. 84:434-448. WEATHERS, W.W. 1972. Thermal panting in domestic 70:31-34. pigeons,Columbalivia, and the Barn Owl, Tyto alba COULOMBE, H.N. 1970. Physiologicaland physicalasJ. Comp.Physiol. 79:79-84. pectsoftemperatureregulationin the BurrowingOwl 1979. Glimatic adaptation in avian Speotyto cunicularia.Comp.Biochem. Physiol.35:307-337. standardmetabolicrate. Oecologica (Berl.) 42:81-89. DAWSON,W.R. 1982. Evaporativelossesof water by .. 1981. Physiological thermoregulabirds.Comp.Blochem. Physiol.71A:495-509. tion in heat-stressed birds: consequences of bodysize DAWSON, W.R. ANn A.F. BENNETT. 1973. Roles of Physiol.Zool.54:345-361. metaboliclevel and temperature regulation in the adjustment of Western Plumed Pigeons(Lophophopsfer- WUNDER, B.A. 1979. Evaporative water loss from birds: effects of artificial radiation. Comp.Blochem ruginea)to desert conditions.Comp.Biochem.Physiol. Physiol.63A:493-494. 44A:249-266. FORn. 1968. Patternsof panting and gular flutter in Cormorants,

Pelicans, Owls,

and

Doves. Condor

HAMn•TON, K.L. 1982. The energetic costof incubation and bioenergetics of the Barn Owl. Ph.D. Thesis.Utah State University,Logan, 122 pp. LUSTICK, S., B. BATTERSBYAND M. KELTY. 1978. Be-

havioral thermoregulation: orientation towards the sun in Herring Gulls.Science 200:81-83.

Dept. of Biology and the Ecology Center, UMC 53, Utah State Univ., Logan, UT 84322. Gutrent Address: Dept. of Physiologyand Biophysics,Univ. of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77550.

Received18 December1984; Accepted20 March 1985