Panting - Temperature Relations in animals

Panting is an increase in the breathing in response to heat stress and occurs widely in birds as well as mammals. Panting requires less muscular effort and thus is of advantage losing heat. By comparison to sweating, panting holds at least two advantages. First, no loss of salts occurs. Second, the breathing activities of panting assure that the air saturated with water vapour is driven forcibly away from the evaporative surfaces.

But during sweating the removal of water laden air is dependent on several other forces such as external winds. However, panting requires more energy than sweating. Many birds augment evaporative cooling by rapidly vibrating their gular area (the floor of their mouth) while holding their mouth open.