Effects of ambient temperature on avian incubation behavior

Ambient temperature is commonly thought to influence avian incubation behavior. However, results of empirical studies examining correlations between ambient temperature and bout duration are equivocal. We propose that these equivocal results can be partly explained by developing a conceptual understanding of how we should expect temperature to influence incubation. We demonstrate why linear correlation analyses across a wide range of temperatures can be inappropriate based on development of an incubation model for small birds that incorporates how ambient temperature influences both embryonic development and adult metabolism. We found support for predictions of the model using incubation data from orange-crowned warblers (Vermivora celata) in Arizona. Both off- and on-bout duration were positively correlated with ambient temperature between 9° and 26°C, but unrelated to ambient temperature