Juvenile African Eagle Owls

Juvenile spotted eagle owls (Bubo africanus) thermoregulating in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier park in Southern Africa. Their rapid panting helps them to lose excess heat. Thermoregulation is a process that allows the body to maintain its core internal temperature. Birds are endothermic thermoregulators, meaning that they use metabolism as well as behavioral mechanisms to maintain constant body temperature. Science Photo Library.