This 2009 physiological study examined how molting affects metabolic rate and thermoregulation in the red knot (Calidris canutus islandica), a shorebird wintering in cold climates. Molting birds showed a 9.8% increase in mass-independent basal metabolic rate (BMR) compared to nonmolting individuals. Thyroxine (T₄) levels were positively correlated with the rate
