Beintema A.J. & Visser G.H. (1989) The effect of weather on time budgets and development of chicks of meadow birds. ARDEA 77 (2): 181-192

Time budgets of chicks of the Lapwing, Black-tailed Godwit, and Redshank consist of alternating bouts of foraging freely, and being brooded by a parent. The lengths of brooding and foraging bouts depend on temperature and age. The foraging percentage, defined as percentage of time available for feeding, increases with the ambient temperature, as brooding bouts decrease in length, and foraging bouts increase in length. Foraging percentages also increase with age, when the chick improves its own thermoregulation. Above a threshold temperature brooding ceases. This threshold temperature decreases with age. Rain has an extra coolong effect, which cannot be expressed as a simple chilling factor, as the effect itself changes with age. From the data, a model has been derived, which can be used to predict the percentage of time available for feeding, based on th chick's age, and weather conditions. In adverse weather conditions, small chicks may need so much brooding, that too little time remains to feed. Chicks then show retarded growth, and may eventually die of starvation.