HOW DO CROWS SLEEP
- When birds sleep, they protect vulnerable body parts by burying them in their feathers.
- A bird’s feathers create insulating air pockets that help it keep warm, and by tucking feet or the bill into the feathers, less body heat is lost.
- When a bird’s bill is buried deeply in its feathers, it is also able to breathe air warmed by its own body heat.
- Another adaptation birds have for safe sleep is the construction of their feet and legs.
- A flexor tendon contracts the bird’s toes and talons when the legs are bent, such as when a bird is nestled down for roosting.
- This means the automatic, at rest position of the foot is for the talons to be tightly locked around a perch, making it impossible for the bird to fall while sleeping.
- The tendon only releases when the bird voluntarily straightens its legs, as it would for taking off.
- There is little data available about how long birds sleep at once, but studies indicate that birds may sleep longer during longer nights.
- This may be because diurnal birds are not able to forage or engage in other activities without sufficient light, and so sleeping is the next natural item on their to-do lists.
- Birds are able to “power nap” during the day, however, and can catch up on sleep on longer days whenever they are in a safe, secure spot.
- Help Birds Get a Good Night’s Sleep
- Sleeping can be hazardous for birds, making them more vulnerable to predators.
- Birders can help all birds get a good night’s sleep, however, with several easy steps.
- Create a bird-friendly landscape that includes great shelter for sleeping, such as a brush pile, native coniferous trees, or roosting boxes.
- Discourage feral cats and other predators that can threaten sleeping birds, as well as protect birdhouses and roosting boxes from predators.