ABSTRACT The Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos) is a desert-living species restricted to the dry centre of Australia. These falcons have a number of unique life-history adaptations that may be crucial for their survival in this harsh environment, but these may, conversely, confine them to these arid regions. In this study we investigated what Grey Falcon feather structure can reveal about the ecology of the species. Specifically, we tested UV reflectance and structural waterproofing of Grey Falcon feathers, and compared these properties across other Australian Falco species. Grey Falcon feathers did not reflect unique UV peaks, nor show any significant difference in structural waterproofing when compared with closely-related sympatric falcon species. This suggests that Grey Falcon feathers have no specific adaptations to prevent the impact of UV or water on their plumage, so feather structure evidently does not help explain the persistence of this species in arid Australia. We suggest that an exploration of the physiological and behavioural thermoregulatory capabilities of this species should provide further insights in understanding how these birds cope with their extreme environment and are confined there.

中文翻译：

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应对干旱内部的高温——羽毛结构可以揭示澳大利亚沙漠生活的 Grey Falcon Falco hypoleucos 的生态学什么？

摘要 灰隼 (Falco hypoleucos) 是一种生活在沙漠中的物种，仅限于澳大利亚的干燥中心。这些猎鹰具有许多独特的生活史适应性，这对于它们在这种恶劣环境中的生存至关重要，但反过来，这些适应性可能会将它们限制在这些干旱地区。在这项研究中，我们调查了灰隼的羽毛结构可以揭示该物种的生态。具体来说，我们测试了灰色猎鹰羽毛的紫外线反射率和结构防水性，并比较了其他澳大利亚猎鹰物种的这些特性。与密切相关的同域猎鹰物种相比，灰色猎鹰羽毛没有反射独特的紫外线峰值，在结构防水方面也没有表现出任何显着差异。这表明灰隼的羽毛没有特殊的适应性来防止紫外线或水对其羽毛的影响，因此羽毛结构显然无助于解释该物种在干旱的澳大利亚的持久性。我们建议对该物种的生理和行为体温调节能力的探索应该为了解这些鸟类如何应对其极端环境并被限制在那里提供进一步的见解。