|
| |
|
|
|
|
||||
| Home Help Feedback Subscriptions Archive Search Table of Contents | ||||
Heart Rate, Respiratory Frequency and Wing Beat Frequency of Free Flying Barnacle Geese Branta Leucopsis
1 Department of Zoology and Comparative Physiology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K.
1. Two barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) were successfully imprinted on a human and encouraged to fly behind an open-topped truck containing the foster parent. A two channel radio-transmitter was implanted into these geese so that heart rate and respiratory frequency could be recorded before, during and after flights of relatively long duration. The resting value for heart rate was 72 ± 4 (10) beats min-1 and for respiratory frequency, 8.5 ± 0.6 (10) breaths min-1.
2. Five flights of a mean duration of 14.4 ± 1.3 (5) min and at a mean air velocity of 18.7 ± 0.3 (54) m s-1 were performed. Both heart rate and respiratory frequency increased before the birds began to flap their wings for take off. Mean heart rate during flight was 512 ± 4 (54) beats min-1 (7.24 x resting). At take off, wing beat frequency was 356±7 (4) beats min-1 and respiratory frequency was 121 ± 10 (5) breaths min-1. Both of these variables then declined and reached average flight values of 287 ± 3 (37) beats min-1 and 99±2 (54) breaths min-1 (11.7 x resting) respectively. There was no relationship between any of the measured variables and flight velocity. There was however, a 3:1 correspondence between wing beat frequency and respiratory frequency and a tight phase locking between the two. The wings were fully elevated at 6.0 ± 1.1(20)%, 40.5 ± 1.1(20)% and 74.0±1.1(20)% the respiratory cycle. On two occasions the birds slope soared on the air rising over the top of the cab for a mean duration of 52 s and at a mean air velocity of 14.2 ± 0.5 (4) m s-1. Heart rate was 261 ± 18 (4) beats min-1 and respiratory frequency was 68 ± 5 (4) breaths min-1.
3. Upon landing, heart rate returned to its preflight value within 3 min. Respiratory frequency, however, increased as the birds began to pant and reached a maximum value of 255±11 (5) breaths min-1 4 min after landing.
Submitted on May 28, 1979
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  G. R. Scott and W. K. Milsom Control of breathing and adaptation to high altitude in the bar-headed goose Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, July 1, 2007; 293(1): R379 - R391. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Ward, C. M. Bishop, A. J. Woakes, and P. J. Butler Heart rate and the rate of oxygen consumption of flying and walking barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) and bar-headed geese (Anser indicus) J. Exp. Biol., November 1, 2002; 205(21): 3347 - 3356. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Morin and D. Viala Coordinations of Locomotor and Respiratory Rhythms In Vitro Are Critically Dependent on Hindlimb Sensory Inputs J. Neurosci., June 1, 2002; 22(11): 4756 - 4765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Nassar, A. Jackson, and D. Carrier Entraining the natural frequencies of running and breathing in guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) J. Exp. Biol., May 1, 2001; 204(9): 1641 - 1651. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Maina What it takes to fly: the structural and functional respiratory refinements in birds and bats J. Exp. Biol., January 10, 2000; 203(20): 3045 - 3064. [Abstract]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. Bramble and D. Carrier Running and breathing in mammals Science, January 21, 1983; 219(4582): 251 - 256. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
