Phenotype manipulations confirm the role of pectoral muscles and haematocrit in avian maximal thermogenic capacity.

In small resident bird species living at northern latitudes, winter cold acclimatization is associated with an increase in pectoral muscle size and haematocrit level, and this is thought to drive the seasonal increase in summit metabolic rate (Ṁsum, a measure of maximal shivering thermogenic capacity). However, evidence suggesting that pectoral muscle size influences Ṁsum is correlational and the link between haematrocrit level and Ṁsum remains to be demonstrated. We experimentally tested the relationship between pectoral muscle size and Ṁsum by manipulating muscle size using a feather clipping protocol in free-living wintering black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus). This also allowed us to investigate the link between haematocrit and thermogenic capacity. After a first series of measures on all birds, we cut half of the flight feathers of experimental individuals (N=14) and compared their fat and pectoral muscle scores, Ṁsum and haematocrit level at recapture with their previous measures and with those of control birds (N=17) that were captured and recaptured at comparable times. Results showed that: (1) experimental birds developed larger pectoral muscles than control individuals and (2) mass-independent Ṁsum was up to 16% higher in birds expressing large pectoral muscles. Ṁsum was also positively correlated with haematocrit, which was not affected by the experimental manipulation. These findings demonstrate that, for a given body mass, large pectoral muscles are associated with a higher Ṁsum in black-capped chickadees and that oxygen carrying capacity likely supports thermogenesis in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]