Environmental temperature selection by the Chukar partridge, Alectoris chukar

Abstract

Adult, male Chukar partridges were trained to select between a warm and cold environmental chamber. The percent of time that the birds chose to remain in the warm or cold chamber was directly related to the temperature of that chamber. In other words, the birds increased their average time in the warm or cold chamber as the temperature of that chamber approached some neutral or preferred temperature. This preferred temperature fell within a range of 25.1–31.9°C. The present study has demonstrated the capacity of an avian species to acquire, within a laboratory environment, a behavioral response that minimizes thermal stress.