To regulate their body mass, birds use a tried-and-true method—diet and exercise, according to new research by University of Alberta biologists.
“The results are so simple that it's almost surprising,” said Kimberley Mathot, assistant professor in the Faculty of Science and Canada Research Chair in Integrative Ecology.
“Anyone can tell you that if you want to lose weight, you should get moving and change how you eat. It turns out birds do just that.”
Unlike mammals, which often become obese when given unlimited access to food, birds can maintain almost constant mass even when food is plentiful. And though understanding why body mass regulation is useful for birds has been a topic of research for many years, this is the first study to examine just how birds do it.
Continue reading at University of Alberta.
Image via Chuck Homler d/b/a Focus On Wildlife, CC BY-SA 4.0.