Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 30 May 1980:
Vol. 208. no. 4447, pp. 1052 - 1053
DOI: 10.1126/science.208.4447.1052
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Interaction Between Posture, Color, and the Radiative Heat Load in Birds

SHELDON LUSTICK 1, MARGARET ADAM 1, and ALEXANDER HINKO 1

1 Department of Zoology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210

The effect of the angle of incidence on the radiative heat load was determined for light and dark plumage. As the angle of incidence to the solar radiation source increases the difference in heat transfer between light and dark plumage disappears. Thus, by postural adjustment, a dark bird may become thermally white with regard to the radiative heat load.

Submitted on November 15, 1979
Revised on February 19, 1980


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Climate change: is the dark Soay sheep endangered?.
S. K. Maloney, A. Fuller, and D. Mitchell (2009)
Biol Lett 5, 826-829
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Radiation Angle and Heat Transferred to a Bird.
S. LUSTICK (1982)
Science 218, 920
   PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)