[eloshwg] Re: Northern Shrike question

  • From: Abbie Valine <abbiegrace97@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: eloshwg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2022 10:08:58 -0600

Joe,
I work with Northern Shrikes. Adding to what Chris said regarding the fat question, virtually none of the shrikes I’ve banded have had more than a trace amount of stored body fat, no matter the temperature or time of day. Most of my birds seem to score a 0 (none) or 1 (trace) on the fat scale whether it’s -20 or +20F.
Paruk et al (2015) have a paper on “resting metabolic rates of adult Northern Shrikes wintering in southern Wisconsin” which might be of help to you if you haven’t seen it already.
Abbie Valine Duluth, MN


On Feb 3, 2022, at 09:30, Amy Chabot <achabot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

 Hello Joe, Those are some very interesting questions! And I currently don't have the answers. I've sent this message to the Loggerhead Shrike Working Group, as some folks work with Northern Shrike. Hopefully someone can help you out. Amy    
From: Joe Riederer <riedererjt@xxxxxxxxx>
To: achabot@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2022 16:29:11 -0600
Subject: Northern Shrike question
  I'm writing a series of blog posts highlighting how different animals survive the winter. My target audience is the middle school science classroom and interested adults. Currently, I am working on the Northern Shrike. Last week it was -18°F when I saw my first Northern Shrike of the season.    I understand that you work with Loggerhead Shrikes, but can you direct me to any information about Northern Shrikes? I’m struggling to locate any information about how they survive the cold of winter (other than their hunting behavior). Specifically, I’m trying to answer these questions:  
  • Does the Northern Shirkes use piloerection to increase the insulation value of their feather?
  • Do shrikes enter nightly torpor to conserve energy?
  • Do shrikes increase their body fat before the onset of cold weather?
  • Do shrikes use countercurrent heat exchange to avoid losing heat to their unfeathered feet?
  The blog is already being used in a few classrooms. You can see it at https://wildlifeinwinter.com/.    Thanks for any help you can provide.   Joe Riederer --       Joe Riederer Wisconsin Rapids, WI (715) 323-1362   Web Site: Big Bluestem Press Photo Gallery: https://joeriederer.pictorem.com Instagram: @joe_riederer  

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