It has been presumed that yellow chats would encounter problems living in their harsh, arid environment with high ambient temperatures, low ambient humidities and small amounts of surface water. Birds with small body weights are predicted to have high metabolic rates. Furthermore, small body weights will also lead to a higher rate of evaporative water loss compared to larger birds. These predictions suggest that the small body size of the yellow chats combined with their hot, dry, arid environment will result in heat stress and a high loss of water. This could be detrimental in their habitat where water is scarce.