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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.

In preperation for hibernation

Bears

Brown bears can double their weight from spring to autumn, gaining up to 180 kg (400 lb) of fat. These deposits are used to survive their winter hibernation. During summer and autumn, brown bears have been observed consuming large amounts of insects, roots and bulbs, salmon, 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. In some rare cases, the amount of food available from human activity is enough to disrupt regular hibernation behaviour.

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.

References

1. King, J. R.; Farner, D. S. (1965). "Studies of fat deposition in migratory birds". Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 131 (1): 422–440. Bibcode:1965NYASA.131..422K. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1965.tb34808.x. PMID 5216979. S2CID 45371528.
2. Guillemette, M.; Richman, S. E.; Portugal, S. J.; Butler, P. J. (2012). "Behavioural compensation reduces energy expenditure during migration hyperphagia in a large bird". Functional Ecology. 26 (4): 876–883. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2012.01993.x.
3. Kingsley, M. C. S.; Nagy, J. A.; Russell, R. H. (1983). "Patterns of weight gain and loss for grizzly bears in northern Canada". Bears: Their Biology and Management. 5: 174–178. doi:10.2307/3872535. JSTOR 3872535. S2CID 90555276.
4. Hissa, R.; Hohtola, E.; Tuomala-Saramäki, T.; Laine, T. (1998). "Seasonal changes in fatty acids and leptin contents in the plasma of the European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos)". Annales Zoologici Fennici. 35 (#4): 215–224. JSTOR 23735612.
5. Frąckowiak, W., & Gula, R. (1992). "The autumn and spring diet of brown bear Ursus arctos in the Bieszczady Mountains of Poland" (PDF). Acta Theriologica. 37 (#4): 339–344. doi:10.4098/at.arch.92-34. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2024.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. ^ Hunter, Luke (2011). Carnivores of the world. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. pp. 122–133. ISBN 978-0-691-15228-8.
7. Ferrara, Jeanette (November 2020). "FEEDING FRENZY: Every fall, Alaskan brown bears pack on the pounds to prepare for hibernation". Scholastic DynaMath. 39 (3): 4–8 – via ebscohost.
8. Macdonald, D. W. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-956799-9.
9. "Hank the Tank's Real Story". AnimalRightsChannel.com. 22 February 2022. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
10. Loesch, C. R.; Kaminski, R. M. (1989). "Winter body-weight patterns of female mallards fed agricultural seeds". Journal of Wildlife Management. 53 (4): 1081–1087. doi:10.2307/3809614. JSTOR 3809614.
11. Heitmeyer, M. E. (2006). "The importance of winter floods to mallards in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley". The Journal of Wildlife Management. 70 (1): 101–110. doi:10.2193/0022-541X(2006)70[101:TIOWFT]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 55764159.

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