Saturday, February 15, 2014

DAY 223: HOT BIRDS!




You're not the only one sweltering in our current crazy hot weather!
This little guy decided to take the opportunity to indulge in a nice cool shower to help him through. 

Birds certainly do feel the heat, but they can't sweat, so they use other ways to keep cool. You may have noticed birds with their beaks open, panting like a dog. This allows air to pass through the bird’s lungs and air sacs to carry heat away from the bird’s body. The throat of a bird has a lot of blood vessels which tend to make it especially warm, so in addition to panting, a bird sometimes flutters its throat to cool off.


Birds more readily lose heat through the featherless parts of their bodies, like their legs and feet. They spread their wings out and ruffle their feathers when they are hot, allowing the air to penetrate to their skin and draw out the heat. Some birds even turn the lighter-shaded portions of their bodies toward the sun so that their feathers can reflect the heat.

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