STANDARD METABOLISM, ENERGY OF LIFE AND E NERGY-COST OF NON-FLIGHT ACTIVITIES IN THE CUNEATE-TAILED GULL RHODOSTETHIA-ROSEA (LARIDAE, AVES)

Experiments were carried out with three artificially reared cuneate-ta iled gulls (body mass 155 +/- 4.5 g) adapted to laboratory conditions by measuring oxygen uptake in a closed respirometer. Energy expenditur es for standard metabolism, standard life and some non-flight activiti es were estimated directly by oxygen uptake, For estimation of energy expenditures for other activities the time budget method and its trans formation into energy budget was used in combination with measurements of oxygen uptake. The energy cost of the studied non-flight activitie s in the cuneate-tailed gulls is higher than in many avian species and is closest to that in ducks and penguins. The level of energy expendi ture for standard life in the cuneate-tailed gull is similar to that i n the other non-passeriform birds. The energy expenditure for standard metabolism corresponds to those in other non-passeriform birds of the same size and differ from those in representatives of the same order but another suborder Charadriiformes.