The power of feeder-mask respirometry as a method for examining hummingbird energetics

Many birds spend important portions of their time and energy flying. For this reason, quantification of metabolic rates during flight is of crucial importance to understanding avian energy balance. Measurement of organismal gas exchange rates using a mask enclosing the whole head or respiratory orifices has served as an important tool for studying animal energetics because it can free the rest of the body, permitting movement. Application of...