Thermoregulatory Behavior in Migratory European Bee-eaters (Merops apiaster)

Tiger sharks eat songbirds: reply

“…Second, we found no evidence in the literature of behavioral thermoregulation for any of the migratory species in our area; we interpret this to mean the behavior described in Yosef () may be unique to European Bee‐eaters in Eilat, where small, shallow (i.e., 20 cm), predator‐free salt ponds are available, unlike the northern Gulf of Mexico.…”

“…For example, the average fall temperatures in the northern Gulf of Mexico are less than 31°C, compared to 43°C and greater in the northern Red Sea. Perhaps more importantly, the climate in the northern Gulf of Mexico is extremely humid, compared to the khamsins described by Yosef (2010), which are hot, dry winds. Therefore, the evaporative cooling evoked in Yosef (2010) would be impossible in the humid climate of the northern Gulf of Mexico.…”

“…Yosef () goes on to suggest behavioral thermoregulation may explain the interaction between tiger sharks and terrestrial birds, and suggests we try and “ correlate (our) data with species abundance but also with inclement weather, especially heat waves .” The account of behavioral thermoregulation in European Bee‐eaters ( Merops apiaster , Yosef ) is interesting and may provide an explanation for the occurrence of a Bee‐eater from a single tiger shark stomach (Yosef et al. ); however, behavioral thermoregulation is highly unlikely to explain the interactions reported in Drymon et al.…”

European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster Linnaeus, 1758) in Hungary: a review

“…Some nocturnal migration also occurs (Cramp 1998, Snow & Perrins 1998. Yosef (2010) observed a previously unreported thermoregulatory behaviour of migratory European Bee-eaters: diving into the sea and salt ponds with high levels of salinity in Israel. Spring migration begins in early March and the first birds arrive in mid-April in Europe, but some of them are already returning in May.…”

Characteristics of Ecology of Bee-Eaters (Merops Apiaster, M. Superciliosus) in Daghestan as a Region of Intensive Migrations

“…В частности, по сообщению автора [30], зо-лотистые щурки «охотно купались, бросаясь в воду с лёта и, тут же взлетали, подобно тому, как делают это ласточки-касатки». Подобное ныряние золотистых щурок в мо-ре и в пруды с высокой солёностью некото-рые авторы [31] связывают с использовани-ем солёной воды для охлаждения организма, чем объясняют случаи обнаружения щурок в желудках тигровых акул (Galeocerdo cuvier) в Красном море. Вместе с тем авторы [32] полагают, что во время миграции над Крас-ным морем слабые особи золотистых щурок, не способные завершить перелёт над морем, становятся добычей пелагических хищни-ков, в том числе и тигровых акул.…”