esley W. Weathers
Department of Animal Science, UC Davis
Wesley W. Weathers, Ph.D.
Professor and Avian Biologist in the Experiment Station
Phone: (530)752-7411
Lab: (530)752-2401
FAX:(530)752-0175
Home Office: (707)451-1907
E-mail: wwweathers@ucdavis.edu
Education
B.S.,Zoology, San Diego State College, CA, 1964.
M.S., Zoology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 1967.
Ph.D., Zoology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 1969.
Postdoctoral, Physiology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, 1969-70
Research
My research focuses on the thermal ecology and ecological energetics of wild birds. The
kinds of questions that intrigue me are: 1) how does the thermal environment affect the
water and energy economy of birds, and 2) how do variations in life history traits,
habitat, and body size affect patterns of energy allocation to reproduction and growth.
Although my research sometimes has conservation implications, I consider myself a
physiological ecologist rather than a conservation biologist. Most of my research
addresses fundamental questions in avian biology, and my students and I use a variety of
physiological techniques to quantify thermal environments and energetics of free-living
birds. Laboratory measurements of water flux and energy requirements, using open-circuit
respirometry, often complement our field studies. Ideally, students working in my lab will
have a good background in the quantitative sciences. My approach is fundamentally
empirical, although I sometimes employ synthesis and analysis.
