The decreasing effect of β-adrenergic blockade on skin resistance to vapor diffusion and the onset of cutaneous water evaporation in the pigeon (Columba livia) was investigated. Oral administration of 1, 2.3 and 5 mg propranolol to pigeons (268±53 g) initiated intensive trans-cutaneous water evaporation (CWE) up to 29.1 mg H2O·cm−2·h−1 in resting birds at 30°C air temperature (Ta), but had only a slight effect on CWE of birds exposed to 50 °C Ta. After 7 h of effective β-adrenergic blockade (oral administration of 5 mg propranolol), skin and body temperature stabilized at 39.0±0.5 °C and 41.0±0.7 °C, compared to 40.2±0.8 °C and 41.9±0.6 °C in the control group, respectively. A slight hypothermia was accompanied by feather fluffing. Intradermal injection of 0.001, 0.01 and 0.12 mg propranolol also caused intensive CWE. Local β-adrenergic blockade in relatively low blocker doses (0.001 and 0.01 mg propranolol) decreased skin resistance from a high value of 44.5 s·cm−1 to about 6.0 s·cm−1, and caused a sharp increase in CWE from a control value of about 4 to a high of 26.4 mg H2O·cm−2·h−1 during the first two hours of exposure to 30°C Ta. The possible role of β-adrenergic blockade in regulation of trans-cutaneous water evaporation of latent heat dissipation is discussed.