Printer Friendly
The Free Library
19,595,263 articles and books
Member login
User name  
Password 
 
Join us Forgot password?

Chill bill.


[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Check out this bird's enormous beak. Scientists have long wondered why toucans have such supersize bills. A recent study might have found the answer: The tropical birds use their beaks to control their body temperature.

Birds don't sweat, so they need other ways to deal with warm temperatures, says Glenn Tattersail, a biologist at Brock University in Canada who directed the study. Using special infrared (invisible heat energy) cameras, Tattersall looked to see how the birds give off heat. He found that in hot weather, more blood flows through the bill. This draws warmth away from the rest of the bird's body, keeping it cool. When the thermometer dips, less blood flows through the bill, keeping the bird's body toasty.

COPYRIGHT 2009 Scholastic, Inc.
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2009 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

 Reader Opinion

Title:

Comment:



 

Article Details
Printer friendly Cite/link Email Feedback
Title Annotation:LIFE/ADAPTATION
Author:Satre, Hallie
Publication:Science World
Article Type:Brief article
Geographic Code:1USA
Date:Oct 26, 2009
Words:122
Previous Article:Ball tracker.
Next Article:No-drip ice cream.
Topics:



Related Articles
Tonight's the night for spine-tingling.
More like this, please; OLIVER TWIST TUE, SKY MOVIES 2,10 am & 6pm.
FILMS OF THE WEEK.
The bedside, bathtub & armchair companion to Dickens.
US must help poor nations deal with climate change: experts
US must help poor nations deal with climate change: experts

Terms of use | Copyright © 2012 Farlex, Inc. | Feedback | For webmasters | Submit articles