Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Over the proposed five year grant period the principal investigator, post-docs, and graduate and undergraduate students will use new and unique facilities to explore the physiology, behaviour and ecology of migratory birds and bats under laboratory and field conditions. A hypobaric climatic wind tunnel specialized for bird flight studies will be used to investigate 1) how altitude affects energy costs, gas exchange, kinematics, water balance, and fuel use in flight; 2) how dietary macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate, and protein) influence the relative use of fat and protein during flight; 3) how water stress at rest and in flight affects the catabolism of protein from lean body components like muscles and organs; 4) the effects of endurance flight on kidney function and excretory water loss; 5) how dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids affect endurance flight performance and muscle biochemistry; and 6) how prolonged migratory flight affects immunocompetence. Metabolic fuel use and seasonal changes in muscle biochemistry of migrating bats will also be studied. The ability of birds to refuel between flights is a critical determinant of migration success and subsequent reproduction or overwinter survival. Over the grant period, a mobile laboratory and telemetry array will be used to study wild birds in the field. One project will examine the effects of total migration distance (from feather stable isotope analysis), time of year (spring vs fall), time of season (early vs late), age, sex, and dominance status on fuel stores, refueling rate, movement patterns, and stopover duration of white-throated sparrows. A second project will investigate how densities of birds at a stopover site affect refueling performance of a variety of bird species. This research program will train many highly qualified personnel, advance basic knowledge in physiology, and have practical application in the conservation of migratory species.