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Radiotelemetry Of Heart Rates From Free-Ranging Gulls, J. W. Kanwisher, Timothy C. Williams , '64, J. M. Teal, K. O. Lawson
Radiotelemetry Of Heart Rates From Free-Ranging Gulls, J. W. Kanwisher, Timothy C. Williams , '64, J. M. Teal, K. O. Lawson
Biology Faculty Works
A lightweight radiotelemetry system with a range of 80 km was used to monitor heart rate from free-ranging Herring Gulls on flights of up to 20 km. Heart rate varied from 130 beats/min in a resting bird to 625 beats/min for sustained flight. Soaring birds showed rates similar to those of birds sitting quietly on the ground. Simultaneous records of telemetered heart rate and intraspecific conflict on the nesting island revealed that cardiac acceleration preceded overt visual communication. Intensely aggressive behavior was accompanied by heart rates approaching those of sustained flight. Heart rate as a measure of metabolic cost indicates …