It’s in the bag: Corticosterone levels and behavioral responses of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) vary with type of holding bag
Birds react to capture, restraint, and handling by both innate physiological and behavioral means, which function to promote survival. Following capture, small birds are typically placed into holding bags for transport and restraint before data collection and/or banding. We examined physical characteristics of holding bags constructed from opaque cotton cloth or polyester mesh and measured […]
A single exposure to an acute stressor has lasting consequences for the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal response to stress in free-living birds
In vertebrates, activation of the hypothalamo–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis in response to unpredictable events results in elevated glucocorticoid secretion. Repeated exposure to stressors alters subsequent glucocorticoid secretion, either by inducing chronic stress or as a result of habituation. However, most studies of repeated stress focus on the impacts of multiple and frequent exposures to acute stressors, […]