A previously undocumented thermoregulatory behavior of adult cormorants for their pre-fledged young was recorded during observations of a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) colony in Lake of the Woods, Ontario. Many adult cormorants were observed regurgitating water over their chicks’ bodies. The authors believe that the warm temperature, intense sun, and calm winds during the observation periods were the primary factors triggering this previously undocumented thermoregulatory behavior.
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1 June 2008
Water Regurgitation by Adult Double-crested Cormorants: A Possible Mechanism to Assist in Chick Thermoregulation
D. Tommy King,
Jennifer E. Chastant
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Waterbirds
Vol. 31 • No. 2
June 2008
Vol. 31 • No. 2
June 2008
Chick
Double-crested Cormorant
evaporative cooling
Phalacrocorax auritus
thermoregulatory behavior
Water