Which risk is exacerbated when a bird experiences a puncture to their abdominal air sac during flight?

💡 Explanation

When an air sac punctures, respiratory efficiency drops because one-way airflow is disrupted, causing oxygen-poor inhaled air to mix with oxygen-rich air destined for systemic circulation. Therefore, compromised respiration results, rather than metabolic disruption, lift reduction, or dehydration, which involve different physiological mechanisms.

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