Re: Vulture warm up

["jrc" <jrccea@bellsouth.net>]

No, I don't think we can make that assumption -- according to the photos, 
they are also doing it on cloudy days without much radiant heat input 
available to them.  Perhaps they are doing it to cool off ?  After all, 
folded wings do make pretty good insulators and can trap a lot of  body 
heat.
JimC
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <quailspg@frii.com>
To: <dinosaur@usc.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 3:24 PM
Subject: Vulture warm up


> Listers --
>
> Here are some very nifty pix taken very recently by a friend of a friend
> in Fort Collins, Colorado.
>
> http://picasaweb.google.com/heidemom/Vultures?authkey=Gv1sRgCNuQpdaq8qHu6wE&feat=directlink
>
> They were taken in the morning, so can we assume the birds had their wings
> spread to warm up? If this is so, what does it say about a vulture's
> ability to regulate its body temp? (I don't think many other types of
> birds engage in this behavior.) Does this behavior (the urge -- or need --
> to warm up in the sun) say anything about your typical Mesozoic theropod?
> Or are vultures a special case due to their scavenging habits (especially
> low metabolism, maybe???)?
>
> -- Donna Braginetz