Why birds take naps when the moon isn't out
Torpor in Dark Times: Patterns of Heterothermy Are Associated with the Lunar Cycle in a Nocturnal Bird
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Freckled Nightjars enter torpor during dark nights even when food is abundant and temperatures are mild.
This contradicts the long-held belief that torpor is primarily triggered by cold temperatures or food scarcity. Instead, the birds respond more to the inability to forage due to darkness than to thermal or energetic stress.
Practical Takeaways
When studying animal energy use, consider environmental factors like light availability, not just temperature or food supply.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Freckled Nightjars enter torpor during dark nights even when food is abundant and temperatures are mild.
This contradicts the long-held belief that torpor is primarily triggered by cold temperatures or food scarcity. Instead, the birds respond more to the inability to forage due to darkness than to thermal or energetic stress.
Practical Takeaways
When studying animal energy use, consider environmental factors like light availability, not just temperature or food supply.
Publication
Journal
Journal of Biological Rhythms
Year
2011
Authors
B. Smit, J. Boyles, R. Brigham, A. McKechnie
Related Content
Claims (4)
The moon's light changes how much food night-migrating birds can find, which affects their energy levels during travel.
Even when there's plenty of food around, these night birds still slow down their bodies at night—probably because it's dark and hard to find food, not just because food is scarce.
Freckled Nightjars are night birds that sometimes chill out and go into energy-saving mode during dark nights—even when there's plenty of food. It seems they do this not because they're hungry, but because it's too dark to hunt well.
Freckled Nightjars are more likely to go into energy-saving mode based on how bright the moon is than on how cold it is, which means they might be using the moonlight to hunt instead of just reacting to the temperature.