In the wild animals are forced to find creative ways to sleep, there are no comfy beds and secluded bedrooms in the wild so animals have to improvise when finding places to sleep. Some animals sleep in unexpected places and in unexpected positions. Animals like horses, elephants and zebras sleep standing up, but what about birds? Do birds sleep standing up? This article looks into it.

Birds do sleep standing up, they sleep this way because they aren’t comfortable sleeping laying down. Sleeping standing up keeps them half awake and half asleep and this allows them to be aware of predators that may pounce at any time.

Do birds sleep standing up?

While humans and other mammals have to lie down when it’s time to nap, some bird species sleep standing up. Birds living in the wild prefer this position as it helps to keep them half awake. These creatures need to stay alert even in their sleep as predators are all around them.

Flamingos are an excellent example of birds that sleep standing up. They only do so because there aren’t any comfortable or safe places around to lie down. Depending on the species of a bird, it might sleep standing up, lying on the ground, staying upside down, or even floating on water.

Why do birds sleep standing on one leg?

If you’re a bird-watcher, you might have noticed that these creatures sometimes sleep standing on one leg. It’s an odd way to nap but there’s a logical reason as to why birds do that.

When it’s cold at night or during winter, one of the ways a bird keeps itself warm is by tucking one leg into its body’s feathers. Studies have also shown that bird species like flamingos and geese might sleep standing on one leg in order to allow the other leg rest. This sleeping posture makes sense when you consider that these birds are mostly on their feet during the day.

How else do birds sleep?

During sleep, a bird might slightly fluff its feathers – it does so to keep itself warm, much like a human putting on thick clothes before going to bed at night. Birds are also likely to tuck their heads into their back feathers while they sleep – this also helps to keep them from getting cold at night.

Studies have also shown that many birds can sleep with half their brain active and awake while the other half rests. This style of sleeping is referred to as unihemispheric slow-wave sleep. Birds in the wild sleep in this manner to stay alert.

Do birds sleep with their eyes open or closed?

Birds have a sleeping behaviour that’s totally different from that of humans and many other animals. One awkward way a bird sleeps is by keeping one of its eyes open. Birds have the amazing ability to put half of their brain to rest while the other stays awake. In this state, they can go to sleep and still monitor their surroundings.

If your pet bird has grown to trust you, it will likely sleep with both eyes closed. But if a bird is amongst humans and animals that it doesn’t trust it will take naps with only one of its eyes shut.

Can birds sleep with the lights on?

Yes, birds can sleep with the lights on at night. But then, experts warn that doing so could prevent your bird from sleeping well at night. With the lights on, your pet bird might think it’s still daytime and not want to go to sleep – which is why it’s best to either turn off the lights or install a nightlight in the room where the bird sleeps.

Conclusion

In conclusion, birds sleep standing up to keep themselves alert, predators roam around at night and because of this birds have to be half-awake in case a predator pounces on them. They have also evolved to be able to sleep while standing.

Birds sometimes sleep with one leg up or tuck their heads into their feathers to keep warm as well as sleep with one open. Because they are so alert while sleeping, keeping the light on will disrupt a birds good night’s sleep.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: bird falling off perch at night, why and what to do, how to get a baby bird to open its mouth, what do birds do during the day, how to protect birds nest from rain