Ecophysiology of birds
The head of the research group on Ecophysiology of birds is Professor Claus Bech. The research is mainly focused on aspects of energy allocation in a number of bird species, including shags in Norway, kittiwakes on Svalbard and a laboratory population of zebra finches.
These species all adjust their metabolic rate and body temperature in order to cope with changing conditions of the environment, such as temperature, prey availability and general breeding condition. Specific projects also includes the influence of genetic factors in determining the metabolic variation within populations, the effects of age on the metabolic rate, the effect of food quality on growth and development of chicks and sex differences in metabolic and immunological parameters. Bernt Rønning (PhD in 2008) studies repeatability and heritability of basal metabolic rate in captive zebra finches and in wild populations of house sparrows. He also has studied the effect of breeding stress on metabolic rate and tissue oxygen consumption on adult kittiwakes. Elin Noreen (PhD student) is studying the effect of ageing on metabolic and immunological parameters in zebra finches. In addition she is studying the ontogeny of different immunological indices in kittiwake nestlings. Several master students are also connected to the research group, which cooperate with the Norwegian Polar Institute , Tromsø, and CEBC-CNRS (Center for Biological Studies, National Scientific Research Center) in Chizè, France.
