Do Birds Sweat? (How Do They Keep Cool?)

Birds live in some of the hottest places on Earth, including the arid, shadowless deserts of Africa and North America where little other life can thrive. But how do birds cope with the extreme heat? Do all—or any—birds sweat? If not, how do they stay cool in extremely hot temperatures? Read on as we examine how different birds stay cool.

Unlike mammals, birds do not sweat. Instead, they rely on other adaptive measures to cool down on the hottest days of the year; these include finding shade and water, seeking out breezes, and using their feathers, wings, and even bodily functions to expel excess body heat.

In warm weather, it’s not uncommon for birds to seek shelter or shade to rest during the hottest part of the day, only to resume activity at night when temperatures start to drop. Birds of prey fly to higher altitudes in search of cool air currents, and kingfishers and bee-eaters dive more frequently to cool off.

Read on to learn more about the adaptations of different bird species to regulate body temperature and expel excess heat in midsummer.

Often, birds will take advantage of the shade to stay cool on warm days

How do birds stay cool?

Birds have developed a variety of ingenious techniques that allow them to lose or reflect excess heat during the hottest days of the year.

Many birds use water to cool down, and standing in the water is a popular way to quickly cool down wading birds. On hot days, swallows skim the surface of a lake or pool to cool off. A backyard birdbath serves dual purposes, providing drinking water (essential for staying hydrated) and a place to splash around and let some excess body heat escape.

Birds use bird baths to keep cool

Other adaptations are not universal but specific to individual species. Where possible, birds with white feathers turn those feathers toward the sun, which in turn reflects the most intense heat away from their bodies. As the mercury rises, birds can be observed standing with their mouths wide open, wings spread, panting, and cooling themselves by maximizing surface area to allow heat to escape more quickly.

Less common but possibly equally effective is the phenomenon of polyuria in some birds such as storks and gannets. This includes defecating on one’s own legs to cool down, increasing heat loss through evaporation.

Other adaptations reflecting the modern world and changing urban landscapes have been seen in Phoenix, Arizona, where temperatures regularly exceed 110 degrees. Wild red-faced lovebirds are often spotted perching on air-conditioning units in buildings in the heart of the city.

The rosy lovebirds can often be seen cooling off on air conditioning units in the city

When Can Birds Regulate Their Body Temperature?

Juveniles and adults are warm-blooded (heat-absorbing), with an average body temperature of about 40°C (105°F). They can regulate their own temperature between 39 and 42 degrees Celsius (102 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit), so the temperature remains at a constant level whether it’s cold weather or extreme heat.

When they hatch, the chicks have not yet developed the ability to regulate their body temperature and rely on the mother to incubate them to keep them warm for the first few days, up to three weeks in some birds.

Different birds have developed a variety of adaptations to help them regulate their body temperature when they start to overheat, and methods that cool one bird down may not be as effective or practical in other species.

When it’s cold, birds eat more to generate the more energy needed to raise their body temperature. In winter, flocks of birds can be seen huddling together to increase body temperature and prevent heat loss. Storks, emus and flamingos stand on one leg to limit heat loss from the legs.

A small flock of quail huddle together to keep warm for the winter

Do birds have sweat glands?

Birds don’t have sweat glands and don’t sweat, so they need to find other ways to evaporate excess body heat. They do lose a certain amount of heat and moisture through their skin, but not enough to maintain a steady body temperature in extremely hot weather.

Do birds pant?

Birds, especially passerines, have been observed to exhibit panting-like behavior when the temperature is too high, standing with their beaks open and taking rapid breaths. This “panting” in birds is often accompanied by other movements, including spreading and rapidly flapping their wings to release heat and cool the surrounding air.

Some birds are able to flap their neck feathers in such a way that their throat membranes expand and vibrate, thereby drawing excess water away from their bodies. This is called “gular fluttering” and is common with mourning doves, herons, double-crested cormorants and some owls.

Great blue heron panting on a hot summer day

Do birds feel heat and cold?

Birds generally have a higher body temperature than humans, about 40 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit), but are still sensitive to extreme heat and cold. Having a higher average body temperature means that while birds may be able to cope with more intense heat than humans, they can overheat quickly on extremely hot days.

When a bird cannot maintain a steady body temperature, it can quickly lead to dehydration and affect its nervous system, balance and ability to fly.

Perhaps the more serious challenge for the lighter, smaller birds is keeping warm when temperatures drop to extreme lows, rather than cooling down in hot weather.

A sparrow drinks water to keep cool

Do Birds’ Feet Feel Hot?

Birds have no feathers on their feet and (usually legs), and a lot of heat can escape from these exposed parts. Ornithiums don’t have many pain receptors and aren’t particularly fleshy, so they aren’t usually affected by temperature extremes (hot or cold).

There is an anatomical system known as countercurrent heat exchange between the veins and arteries in the legs of birds. The warm blood from the bird’s body is carried by the arteries to its feet, approaching the cold blood that returns from the feet to the body through the veins.

This causes arterial blood to cool while venous blood warms, regulating the bird’s body temperature to the desired 40 degrees.

As well as explaining why birds don’t feel their feet overheat, this also shows us how birds such as seagulls, ducks and geese are able to walk on icy pond surfaces without freezing their feet.

A pigeon walks in the desert

Do birds sweat through their feet?

Birds don’t sweat at all, even through their feet. However, a bird’s legs and feet do play an important role in conserving heat in cold weather and reducing body temperature in extreme heat. The exposed skin on the bird’s feet and legs loses heat.

Long-legged birds, such as Whooping Cranes, have been observed wading deeper than usual when attempting to cool off, to maximize the use of submerged limb parts and thereby radiate as much heat as possible from their bodies.