Meeting Abstract

35.5  Wednesday, Jan. 5  Environment, Behavior and Physiology: A role for barometric pressure in predicting storms? BREUNER, CW*; SPRAGUE, RS; WOODS, HA; The University of Montana; National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA; The University of Montana creagh.breuner@umontana.edu

Animals use environmental cues to time annual cycles, fine tune the timing of breeding, or make behavioral decisions on a daily basis. Long term cues, such as photoperiod, are highly predictable. More rapid environmental changes, however, such as cold snaps and heavy storms, can come on suddenly. Are there environmental cues associated with these events that animals use to predict the coming challenge, can animals use short-term ‘predictable’ cues to alter physiology and behavior in preparation for environmental deterioration? We investigated the possibility that birds sense declining barometric pressure as a storm approaches. In the lab, we subjected white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) to declining barometric pressure over three hours, mimicking the pressure change which occurs prior to a major storm. We measured activity, food intake and metabolic rate during the experiment, and measured several aspects of stress physiology immediately after the 3 hours. Declining pressure had no effect on metabolic rate or glucocorticoid levels, but did stimulate food intake and had a small positive effect on overall activity. Hence, it appears that these passerines can detect barometric pressure and behave in ways that prepare them for coming storms.