Hyperphagia (ecology)
{{Short description|Short-term increase in an animal's food intake response to changing environmental conditions}}
{{for|the medical symptom|Hyperphagia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
In behavioral ecology, hyperphagia is a short-term increase in food intake and metabolization in response to changing environmental conditions. It is most prominent in a number of migratory bird species. Hyperphagia occurs when fat deposits need to be built up over the course of a few days or weeks, for example in wintering birds that are preparing to start on their spring migration, or when feeding habitat conditions improve for only a short duration.{{cite journal|last1=King|first1=J. R.|first2=D. S.|last2=Farner|year=1965|title=Studies of fat deposition in migratory birds|journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences|volume=131|issue=1 |pages=422–440|doi=10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb34808.x |pmid=5216979 |bibcode=1965NYASA.131..422K |s2cid=45371528 }}{{cite journal|last1=Guillemette|first1=M.|last2=Richman|first2=S. E.|last3=Portugal|first3=S. J.|last4=Butler|first4=P. J.|year=2012|title=Behavioural compensation reduces energy expenditure during migration hyperphagia in a large bird|journal=Functional Ecology|volume=26|issue=4|pages=876–883|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01993.x|doi-access=free}}
In preparation for hibernation
= Bears =
File:435 Comparison 2019 (48844493933).jpg
Brown bears can double their weight from spring to autumn, gaining up to {{Convert|180|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of fat. These deposits are used to survive their winter hibernation.{{cite journal|author1=Kingsley, M. C. S. |author2=Nagy, J. A. |author3=Russell, R. H. |s2cid=90555276 |title=Patterns of weight gain and loss for grizzly bears in northern Canada|journal=Bears: Their Biology and Management |volume=5 |pages=174–178|jstor=3872535|doi=10.2307/3872535|year=1983}}{{cite journal|author1=Hissa, R. |author2=Hohtola, E. |author3=Tuomala-Saramäki, T. |author4=Laine, T. |author15= Kallio, H. |title=Seasonal changes in fatty acids and leptin contents in the plasma of the European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos)|journal= Annales Zoologici Fennici |pages=215–224|jstor=23735612|volume=35|issue=#4|year=1998}} During summer and autumn, brown bears have been observed consuming large amounts of insects,{{cite journal|author=Frąckowiak, W., & Gula, R.|year=1992|title=The autumn and spring diet of brown bear Ursus arctos in the Bieszczady Mountains of Poland|url=http://rcin.org.pl/Content/11807/BI002_26812_Cz-40-2_Acta-T37-nr31-339-344_o.pdf|journal=Acta Theriologica|volume=37|issue=#4|pages=339–344|doi=10.4098/at.arch.92-34|doi-access=free|access-date=8 October 2024|archive-date=2 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102223643/http://rcin.org.pl/Content/11807/BI002_26812_Cz-40-2_Acta-T37-nr31-339-344_o.pdf|url-status=live}} roots and bulbs,{{cite book |last1=Hunter |first1=Luke |title=Carnivores of the world |date=2011 |publisher=Princeton University Press |location=Princeton, NJ |isbn=978-0-691-15228-8 |pages=122–133 |url=https://archive.org/details/carnivoresofworl0000hunt}} salmon,{{Cite journal |last=Ferrara |first=Jeanette |date=November 2020 |title=FEEDING FRENZY: Every fall, Alaskan brown bears pack on the pounds to prepare for hibernation |journal=Scholastic DynaMath |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=4–8 |via=ebscohost}} and other food sources depending on their location and the availability of food.
During the autumn months, American brown bears consume a large amount of hard masts and berries. Bears living near human settlements may break into buildings or vehicles to eat any food left inside.{{cite book |last1=Macdonald |first1=D. W. |title=The Encyclopedia of Mammals |date=2006 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford |isbn=0-19-956799-9}} In some rare cases, the amount of food available from human activity is enough to disrupt regular hibernation behaviour.{{cite news |title=Hank the Tank's Real Story |url=https://animalrightschannel.com/2022/02/22/hank-the-tanks-real-story/ |access-date=23 February 2022 |work=AnimalRightsChannel.com |date=22 February 2022 |archive-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222205026/https://animalrightschannel.com/2022/02/22/hank-the-tanks-real-story/ |url-status=live }}
In migratory birds
Mallards may engage in hyperphagia in response to winter floods that temporarily make available more wetlands for foraging, heavily increasing their daily food intake to make use of the additional food.{{cite journal|last1=Loesch|first1=C. R.|first2=R. M.|last2=Kaminski|title=Winter body-weight patterns of female mallards fed agricultural seeds|journal=Journal of Wildlife Management|year=1989 |volume=53|issue=4 |pages=1081–1087|doi=10.2307/3809614|jstor=3809614 }}{{cite journal|last=Heitmeyer|first=M. E.|year=2006|title=The importance of winter floods to mallards in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley|journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management|volume=70|issue=1|pages=101–110|doi=10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[101:TIOWFT]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=55764159 }}