Energetics of Growth in Nestling Long-Billed Calandra Lark

We measured the consumption of oxygen and the accumulation of energy in fat and tissues of nestling Long-billed Calandra Larks (Melanocorypha maxima) at Haibei Research Station of Alpine Meadow Ecosystem,Academia Sinica,from April,1987 to July,1988.Seventy-seven of nestling Long-billed Calandra Larks are used to carcass analysis,one hundred four of them are used to determination of oxygen consumption.From data on oxygen consumption of individual nestling in metabolism chambers at 35 ℃,we calculated that a neonate metabolized 452.05 KJ of energy during the twelve days.Applying standard conversion factors,we determined that a nestling accumulated 126.54 and 148.20 KJ of energy in lipid and nonlipid dry matter,respectively,for a total production of 365.40 KJ.From our analysis using data obtained in the laboratory,total energy expenditure for growth equaled 726.79 KJ,50.28% of them used to production,49.72% of them are used to maintenance.Analysis are shown that the patterns of daily change in growth energy for Long-billed Calandra Lark and Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichdensis) are the same,but the pattern of distributed energy are different.Accumulated amount of nonlipid dry matter in tissues of nestling Savannah Sparrows are higher than Long-billed Calandra larks,but their lipid accumulation are lower than the latter when fledging.Ratio of energy expenditure for maintenance in Savannah Sparrows are higher than Long-billed Calandra Larks during growth.