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Updated: May 22, 2026

Using a Thermal Camera to Measure Heat Loss Through Bird Feather Coats
Published on: June 17, 2020
Ecological importance of the thermal emissivity of avian eggshells
Lars Olof Björn1, Per Uvdal, Shaoshan Li
1Key Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Science in Guangdong Higher Education, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China. Lars_Olof.Bjorn@biol.lu.se
Abstract:
Breeding birds have to divide their time between egg incubation and foraging. Particularly in cases when only one parent incubates the eggs, and especially in cold climates, the cooling of the eggs during absence from the nest may be problematic. In the present study we find that the thermal emissivity of eggshells may be ecologically important, and that an evolutionary pressure towards lower emissivity for exposed eggs in cold climates exists. We plan to experimentally compare emissivities among species in a future study.
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