Physiological and Biochemical Thermoregulatory Responses in Male Chinese Hwameis to Seasonal Acclimatization: Phenotypic Flexibility in a Small Passerine

Many small birds living in regions with seasonal fluctuations and ambient temperatures typically respond to cold by increasing metabolic thermogenesis, internal organ mass and the oxidative capacity of certain tissues. In this study, we investigated seasonal adjustments in body mass, resting metabolic rate (RMR), evaporative water loss (EWL), the mass of selected internal organs, and two indicators of cellular aerobic respiration (mitochondrial state-4 respiration and cytochrome c oxidase activity) in Chinese hwamei (Garrulax canorus) that had been captured in summer or winter from Wenzhou, China. RMR and EWL were higher in winter than in summer. State-4 respiration in the heart, liver, kidneys and pectoral muscle, as well as cytochrome c oxidase activity in the liver, kidneys and pectoral muscle were also higher in winter than summer. In addition, there was a positive correlation between RMR and EWL, and between RMR and indicators of cellular metabolic activity in the heart, liver, kidneys and pectoral muscle. This phenotypic flexibility in physiological and biochemical thermoregulatory responses may be important to the hwamei's ability to survive the unpredictable, periodic, cold temperatures commonly experienced in Wenzhou in winter.