Mid-Winter Lipid Reserves of the Golden-Crowned Kinglet

Little has been published about the utilization or storage of energy by kinglets. Therefore, the authors undertook to measure the size of lipid depots and the amplitude of daily energy cycles in the Golden-crowned Kinglet. They hypothesized that such a bird might not be able to carry sufficient energy stores to maintain high body temperatures over long, cold, winter nights. If daily cycles of energy storages are not sufficient to fuel overnight survival, this indicates that nocturnal hypothermia must occur if the species is to survive.