From an egg to a fledgling : a perspective on shorebird breeding ecology and chick energetics

Shorebirds form a diverse group of bird species exhibiting a variety growth rates, reproduction strategies and behaviours which enable them to survive in the different environments in which they live and breed. This variation makes this group of species an ideal subject to study latitudinal adaptations. During each life stage shorebirds are subject to selective pressures from these different environments. Adaptations to survive in these environments are not limited to specialised egg structure or large fat reserves to survive harsh conditions. There are other adaptations, also physiological, that enable shorebirds to survive in harsh climates; for example, metabolic adaptations in chicks. I discuss the adaptations of shorebird (Charadrii) chicks that enable them to grow and fledge successfully in their environment..