ABSENCE OF LOCOMOTOR-RESPIRATORY COUPLING DURING SIMULATED DESCENDINGFLIGHT IN THE CACKLING CANADA GOOSE

The locomotor and respiratory patterns of six cackling Canada Geese (B ranta canadensis minima) were examined during simulated +10 degrees de scending flight to determine if locomotor-respiratory coupling occurre d. In half the birds, there was no locomotor-respiratory coupling, the remainder exhibited minimal partial coupling. We hypothesize that the absence of locomotor-respiratory coupling is probably of little energ etic significance as descending Bights tend to be of short duration an d reduced power output.