The Answer Might Surprise You!

Let me tell you a little something about

how birds fall asleep.  Maybe we both

could grab a tasty little birdie treat

with this information.

More than half of bird species are perching birds

(known as passerines or songbirds). This includes about 5,500 species,

 including wrens, finches, sparrows, orioles, cardinals, starlings, and many others. 

Part of what makes perching birds so fascinating is their ability to sing a

 song unique to their species. Some perching birds are born knowing 

their song while others actually learn them from their parents.

Equally intriguing, however, is the makeup of a perching bird’s feet. 

Aside from having the ability to fly, having feet that can grasp onto

 branches, reeds, grasses and even sheer cliffs and tree trunks is 

one of their best defenses against predators.

Contrary to popular belief, these birds do not sleep in their nests

(which are reserved for laying eggs and raising chicks). 

Instead, they sleep (or roost) safely tucked away in 

dense vegetation, including trees and shrubs.

At dusk, a perching bird will choose a spot to roost for the night, 

often burying its bill and one leg up into its feathers. 

It will then roost comfortably in that spot until dawn, which makes 

many people wonder how they’re able to maintain such a pose without falling…

Perching Birds Can’t Help But Perch

Perching birds’ feet are quite literally made to perch. 

Each foot has four toes, three that face forward and one that faces 

backward (technically this is called an “anisodactyl arrangement”). 

While each toe moves independently, the backward facing toe is extremely

 strong, helping ensure a strong grip.

Even more importantly, perching birds have flexor tendons 

in their legs that force their toes to involuntarily clasp on a perch

 as soon as their ankles bend and their body weight presses down, 

sometimes referred to as a “stay mechanism.” Only when their 

legs straighten will the tight clasp be broken, so a sleeping bird 

cannot physically “fall” from a branch. 

Where Do Non-Perching Birds Sleep?

Not all birds have this same ability to grasp branches. 

Some birds, like geese and ducks, have webbed feet, which makes 

them well-suited for sleeping on the water (away from land-based predators). 

Woodpeckers tend to sleep in tree cavities while quail may sleep 

in low-lying vegetation. Others, like shorebirds, which can’t sit in 

trees or on the water, typically sleep out on open 

beaches in large flocks for protection.

In addition to being able to sleep high up in trees without falling out, 

some birds have developed the ability to sleep with one eye open, 

which is known as unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS). 

Basically, they allow one side of their brain to fall into deep sleep

while the other side remains alert and on the lookout for predators.

Even more intriguing, birds can choose when to use USWS

and when to sleep fully – and some may even be

half-asleep during flight. As Slate explained:

“Birds can turn USWS on and off depending on how safe their roost is: 

For example, when a large flock of ducks is roosting on an open lake, 

the birds in the safety of the center of the flock may shut down completely, 

while the more vulnerable birds at the edge of the flock may enter

USWS to stay alert. What’s more, scientists suspect that some 

birds use USWS to sleep while in flight.”

 Thanks to Dr. Karen Becker of Mercola Healthy Pets for

this article on the sleep habits of birds.

Julep and Derby

We're super busy packing boxes and moving them

into the storage unit.  Time is running out and with

'Phil' seeing his shadow ... we are hoping we don't have a

blizzard on moving day.