Mechanisms of fuel use and water balance during flight and refueling in migratory birds and bats

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Over the proposed five year grant period the principal investigator, post-docs, and graduate and undergraduate students will use new and unique facilities to explore the physiology, behaviour and ecology of migratory birds and bats under laboratory and field conditions. A hypobaric climatic wind tunnel specialized for bird flight studies will be used to investigate 1) how altitude affects energy costs, gas exchange, kinematics, water balance, and fuel use in flight; 2) how dietary macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate, and protein) influence the relative use of fat and protein during flight; 3) how water stress at rest and in flight affects the catabolism of protein from lean body components like muscles and organs; 4) the effects of endurance flight on kidney function and excretory water loss; 5) how dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids affect endurance flight performance and muscle biochemistry; and 6) how prolonged migratory flight affects immunocompetence. Metabolic fuel use and seasonal changes in muscle biochemistry of migrating bats will also be studied.