How Do Birds Sleep? (Everything Explained)

The majority of birds are active during the day but have you ever wondered where they go during the night. Do they sleep as we do and for how long? This article will look into everything how birds sleep during the night. So, let's get into it!

Where do birds sleep?

Generally speaking, birds find a sheltered area to hunker down for the night. They may sleep in abandoned nest boxes, in old buildings, nestled in shrubs or in a cavity in a tree. Some birds, like ducks and other waterfowl, sleep near the edge of the water and may even sleep standing on one leg with the other leg held against the body. Many birds sleep on a tree branch in a protected area. When birds go to bed for the night, it is called roosting.

Other birds, such as Woodpeckers and Nuthatches, will sleep vertically on tree trunks.

Many people assume birds sleep in nests, but this isn't really true. Typically, only birds with a clutch of eggs or brood of babies sleep on the nest.

Sleeping high up on branches, or in cavities, birds stay out of sight of predators and can shelter from any adverse weather, such as rain or storms. Sleeping on the water also keeps birds safe from predation as well.

Continue reading for some common questions and interesting facts about birds and their sleep habits.

Sparrows sleeping on branches at night

How do birds stay warm during the night?

Birds are amazing creatures in their own right. They are surprisingly lightweight enabling them to fly swiftly and expertly. For example, a Blue Jay may look like a large bird and does measure 7 to 12 inches from the tip of its tail to the tip of the beak, but it weighs in at a mere 2.5 to 3.5 ounces. The tiny Ruby Throated Hummingbird weighs in at an unbelievable 1/10th of an ounce. Birds are lightweight by design, of course, as they have hollow bones. But their small size and lack of body weight can cause some issues with staying warm while sleeping through the night.

Birds have two layers of feathers — a fluffy layer of downy feathers underneath an outer layer of flight feathers. When birds sleep, they fluff up the downy feathers creating a soft layer of insulation to keep their tiny bodies warm, but that's not the only way they stay warm and secure so they can sleep.

How long do birds sleep for?

Birds sleep in short bursts and awaken quickly at any sign of danger. While they may remain on their roost from dusk until dawn, they really aren't sleeping the entire time.

It is unclear how many hours of actual sleep birds get during the night.

Nocturnal birds, like owls, sleep during the day and are active during the night.

A Great Tit fast sleep perched on a tree branch

What time do birds go to sleep at night?

Generally speaking, birds will find a sheltered area to roost as soon as the sun begins to set and they tend to become active again shortly after sunrise. Nocturnal birds typically go to bed at dawn and sleep until darkness falls the following night.

Some birds, like the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, stay up until it becomes difficult to see and are up in the wee hours of pre-dawn before the sun peeks over the horizon.

Do birds sleep with their eyes open?

Generally, birds will sleep with their eyes closed. Many birds will also tuck their head under a wing or turn their head backwards and nestle the beak under their back feathers. But, there are some exceptions. Some birds, like ducks, enter unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS) and keep one eye open while they sleep.

This fantastic feat controls part of the brain and actually prevents the whole brain from going to sleep. Even more amazing is the bird can control how much of the brain is awake by how far it allows the eye to open, explains Audubon. This allows the bird to remain alert to dangers while the rest of the body grabs some sleep. Navigating birds also sleep with one eye open.

Ducks have the ability to sleep with one eye open

Do birds sleep standing up?

Many birds will sleep at night whilst standing up. This includes geese, ducks, flamingoes, owls, hummingbirds and many other songbirds. Typically, they'll stand on one leg, tuck the other foot into the belly and turn the head backwards and hide the beak under their back feathers.

How do birds sleep without falling?

The key to staying on the branch even while sleeping lies in the unique design of the bird's leg and foot. Birds that sleep on branches have four toes, three facing forward and one facing backwards. The tendons in the leg are attached to the toes. When the bird lands on a branch, the tendons flex due to the weight of the bird and force the toes to close tightly around the branch, gripping it securely. The toes will remain clamped to the branch until the bird straightens the leg to fly off.

Interestingly birds have been known to die while on a branch and remain on there without falling to the ground.

A young Starling sleeping on a branch

Do birds sleep when they fly?

While the birds flitting around in your yard aren't likely to be sleeping in flight, birds do have the phenomenal ability to sleep while flying. This typically occurs when birds are migrating and is made possible by a bird's unique unihemispheric slow-wave sleep (USWS) stage. Like the sleeping bird who keeps one eye open to detect signs of danger, migrating birds can take a little snooze and navigate at the same time by keeping one eye open.

Do birds sleep in the same place every night?

Birds return to the same general vicinity to sleep every night and some may have their own private abode, but they generally find a comfortable and protected area to sleep at the end of the day. It may or may not be the same spot as used the night before.

Do birds nap?

Birds are excellent nappers as they are accustomed to waking quickly when danger approaches. Some birds may nap for short periods during the day if the weather is poor or the sun is too hot for them to forage for food. During migration, the Swainson's Thrush is known to take hundreds of naps during the day to compensate for no sleep during the night.

A Chickadee taking a nap during the day

Can birds dream?

It's unknown if birds do actually dream at night. However, birds do have REM sleep patterns, which is required for dreaming just like humans.

However, there is some evidence that neurons activated during the song of the Zebra Finch is also known to activate in bursts during REM sleep. All About Birds refers to this as 'dream-like' activity that may help the bird learn new songs.

Where do birds sleep in the winter?

Birds sleep in a variety of places during winter, and it can vary depending on the species:

• Chickadees, titmice, wrens and woodpeckers sleep in cavities in trees or in cracks in buildings.
• Bluejays and Cardinals hunker down in dense evergreen trees to sleep.
• Finches typically roost with a flock in evergreen trees, but are also known to burrow under the snow to keep warm.
• Nuthatches sleep in hollow trees or crevices, too, but they frequently flock together and may even sleep on top or each other.
• Starlings form large groups that include thousands of birds and flock to a tree. The body heat from the flock helps to keep everyone warm.
• Pigeons and Doves prefer to roost on a flat surface and often spend the night on ledges of buildings.

Mourning Dove asleep during winter

Do birds sleep in nests?

Most birds will not sleep in nests at night. It's only birds with eggs or an active brood of babies that will sleep in the nest to keep the eggs warm or protect the baby birds.

It is rare to see a bird sleeping, unless you are lucky enough to come upon a flock of finches or nuthatches that have bedded down for the night. Birds are often alerted to your approach and have made a quick escape long before you will see them.

Which birds sleep on one leg?

There are many different species of birds that sleep on one leg. This includes flamingos, seagulls and many different types of wading birds.