This Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (CFDA 47.074 Biological Sciences) in the amount of $533,225 will fund collaborative research by the University of Tennessee to study how behavioral responses in a cavity-nesting bird species can help mitigate the impacts of increasing heat and heatwaves. The key objectives are to: 1) identify causes and consequences of variation in behavioral responses to heat among individual birds, 2) determine how prior behavioral acclimation affects responses to subsequent heat exposure, and 3) assess differences in the behavioral capacity of bird populations to cope with heat. The research will involve cross-fostering experiments and use of heat packs in the birds' nests to simulate increased temperatures. This foundational research is intended to inform future predictive models and conservation efforts related to understanding how animal behavior may help buffer the effects of climate change and rising temperatures. The award will also support outreach activities to build broader public understanding of the role of behavior in adapting to environmental challenges.