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Q & A: How do the chicks handle the heat?

03:05 PM PDT on Friday, May 23, 2008

By BOB SALLINGER, Audubon Society of Portland

A couple of quick answers to recently posted questions:

How do the young handle the heat: The feathers insulate the young from the heat and the cold. Like any animal they can overheat. At very high temperatures, the birds will featherless parts of their body such as legs and undersides of wings to allow internal heat to dissipate.

That is why they will sometime sit with their wings spread outward. They can also dissipate heat by panting. Some species such as storks and vultures (but not red-tails) will cool themselves by pooping on their own legs.

How do the chicks get water:

The chicks get all the water they need from their food. Birds of prey very seldomly actually drink in the wild.

Their prey is sufficient to keep them hydrated.

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