Birds have some of the most fascinating and varied sleeping habits in the animal kingdom. While most birds do indeed sleep at night, some species are able to function on very little sleep due to their high-energy lifestyles and the demands of migration or breeding. Other birds, in contrast, seem to spend an extraordinary amount of time sleeping or dozing. But which bird truly sleeps the most? Let’s take a look at some of the sleepiest bird species and their unique slumbering behaviors.
Owls
Owls are certainly high on the list when it comes to birds that love to snooze. As nocturnal hunters, owls are most active at night and tend to sleep heavily during the day. An owl nestled on a tree branch with its eyes closed and head tucked is a common sight. But owls don’t actually sleep through the entire daylight hours. They alternate between periods of true sleep and quick naps or dozing. Their total sleep time during daytime can range from 6 to 12 hours depending on the species. The longest sleeping owl is the barn owl. A nesting female may sleep up to 20 hours per day during incubation and chick-rearing! Male barn owls also average about 16 hours of daytime sleep. Other notoriously sleepy owls include the barred owl, great horned owl, and eastern screech owl. Their heavy daytime slumber helps offset the energy spent during nocturnal hunting.
Parrots
You might not guess it, but parrots are champions when it comes to avian sleep. In the wild, parrots often stick to a routine of sleeping through the night just like humans. Cockatoos have been observed sleeping an average of 10-12 hours per night. African grey parrots sleep about 10-14 hours nightly. But parrots don’t stop at a full night’s sleep. They also take frequent naps during the day totaling 2-4 hours. An African grey may nap 15-20 times for 5-15 minutes each time. In all, parrots rack up an impressive 12-15 hours of shuteye in a 24-hour period. Their total sleep requirement is second only to the largest flightless birds. Sleep is critical for maintaining parrots’ high-energy, high-functioning brains.
Swifts
The common swift has an intriguing and extreme sleep adaptation that allows it to snooze while flying. As aerial hunters that catch insects mid-flight, swifts are in the air for most of their lives except for breeding season. Even when feeding young, parent swifts leave the nest for hours to continue flying and foraging. But depriving themselves of sleep for so long would quickly take a toll. So swifts have evolved the ability to sleep while gliding or soaring on air currents, sometimes at altitudes over 10,000 feet. Half of their brain rests at a time, with one eye open and one half shut. The other brain hemisphere and eye take over after a time. While in flight sleep, swifts maintain aerodynamic body positions and even make occasional wing adjustments. But their heads nod forward and reaction times slow. Swifts may achieve deep REM sleep lasting up to 30 minutes while airborne sleeping.
Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds may be tiny, but they have a huge appetite for sleep. Their high metabolisms and energetic hovering flight requires frequent refueling visits to nectar flowers throughout the day. But this also means hummingbirds can’t afford long uninterrupted sleep stretches or they might starve. So hummingbirds have adapted a sleep style of taking frequent mini-naps or microsleeps. They enter a sort of stupor state dozens of times a day, dozing off for just a few seconds to a couple minutes between feedings. This light cycling sleep pattern allows them to satisfy their huge sleep requirement while also finding enough food. Overall, hummingbirds sleep up to 12 hours per day total through microsleeps. Young hummingbirds may sleep up to 18 hours daily while growing. Their sleeping positions include perching with bills tucked into back feathers, clung sideways to branches, and even while hovering in midair!
Titmice
These aptly named birds spend more than half their lives asleep. Incredibly, the tufted titmouse sleeps an average of 15 hours per day. Their nighttime sleep is relatively normal at 6-8 hours straight. But titmice fill the daylight hours with an additional 7-9 hours of cumulative napping. Their total sleep amounts to 53% of the time in day-night cycle, more than any other bird. Titmice are able to thrive on this leisurely-paced lifestyle because they inhabit temperate woodlands with rich food sources. They can afford to take catnaps between short foraging bouts. Their numerous naps happen in sheltered spots like tree cavities, dense tangles, and nest boxes. Titmice may also sunbathe and enter torpor-like states to conserve energy. Researchers suggest their abundant sleep may support higher cognitive functions like food caching, territoriality, and flock communication.
Wrens
The wren family includes some of the hardest working birds during the breeding season. Energetic males sing constantly to attract mates, and both parents work tirelessly to construct complex nests and feed chicks. But wrens alter their activity patterns dramatically during winter months when food becomes scarce. Wrens lower their body temperature and metabolism and enter regulated hypothermic states for up to 18 hours per night. This deep energy-saving sleep allows them to expend fewer calories on winter nights. During the daytime, wrens remain lethargic and sleep up to 16 hours more through short bouts. So their daily total sleep reaches an impressive 20+ hours in winter conditions. Their nests provide insulation that aids winter sleep. Wrens exemplify how some birds adaptively adjust sleep patterns between breeding busyness and harsh weather dormancy.
Seabirds
Many seabirds appear to sleep astonishingly little despite their highly mobile ocean lifestyles. Species like frigatebirds, boobies, petrels, and albatrosses may glide and soar over the sea for days or weeks at a time, seemingly without rest. However, scientists have discovered they actually employ special brain adaptations that allow sleeping on the wing just like swifts. Alternating one brain hemisphere at a time permits seabirds to maintain just enough aerodynamic control and awareness to avoid crashing at sea or becoming prey. Still, their total sleep quotas are lower than other birds at just 3-10 hours daily. Their light airborne sleep prevents them from dipping into dangerous REM stage while flying. But its presumed inadequacy for their physiology remains a mystery. Seabirds can’t always compensate with recovery sleep on land either due to breeding constraints. How they thrive on so little sleep is not fully understood.
Flamingos
Standing on one leg may look effortless for flamingos, but it serves an important sleep function. Flamingos are actually able to sleep while balanced atop a single slim leg in shallow water. Their ingenious built-in “lock” allows one leg to support their standing body without muscle effort. Meanwhile, the other leg gets to completely relax and rest. Flamingos spend about 10-12 hours per day sleeping, split between night and short midday naps. Their legs take turns sleeping and standing while their necks remain gracefully curled. They can snooze deeply enough on one foot to occasionally lose balance or fall over in a comic display. Their unique standing sleep posture may serve to keep their feathers preened and save heat loss from wetting their legs. It also keeps them ready for a quick getaway from predators in vulnerable wetland habitats.
Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers have mastered the art of sleeping while holding tight. As cavity nesters, they have the convenient habit of roosting or snoozing wedged into their own snug holes in tree trunks. But woodpeckers also possess an ingenious muscle mechanism that allows them to stiffen and relax their feet alternately. This lets them cling securely to vertical and even underside surfaces without expending energy or waking up. They essentially sleep while “clamped” in place on a branch or tree hole. Their feet have been observed remaining tightly clenched for hours without adjusting grip or positioning. Woodpeckers may spend up to 13 hours each night packed into their cavities using this energy-saving clamping sleep habit. Some species also reportedly wedge themselves vertically between branches in a split-level sleeping position. Their limb adaptation allows vital upside-down snoozing for cavity-dwelling birds.
Corvids
For brainy birds like crows, ravens, and magpies, a full night’s sleep is critical for cognitive function. Corvids are intelligent problem-solvers that cache food, use tools, and communicate in complex social groups. They also enjoy longer spans of REM and non-REM sleep compared to other birds, approaching patterns seen in some mammals. Crows sleep at least 8 hours per night and also take short midday naps. Ravens sleep 10-12 hours nightly and young ravens may sleep up to 18 hours daily. Magpies and jackdaws also have high sleep quotas of 9-11 hours overnight. Corvids reduce their sleep slightly during breeding season but won’t go below a baseline minimum to stay effective. Their nests double as sound sleeping quarters. Corvid winter night roosts also allow communal snoozing that may aid thermoregulation and social bonding in addition to rest.
Conclusion
So which bird truly sleeps the most? Based on total hours of daily sleep, the wren and titmouse perhaps deserve the crown when their winter hibernation habits are factored in. But the humble parrot outsleeps most birds in day-to-day life with 12-15 hours in 24. Other top sleepy birds are owls, hummingbirds, corvids, and woodpeckers. Intriguingly, some of the most energetic, intelligent, and high-performing birds seem to require the most abundant rest. But all birds employ clever evolutionary adaptations that allow them to meet their species-specific sleep needs despite their diverse lifestyles and environments. Sleep generally takes priority in a bird’s daily routine no matter how they manage to get it. After all, sleep is essential biological restoration that enables every bird to thrive and take flight each day.
Sleep Requirements By Bird Group
Bird Group | Total Daily Sleep (Hours) |
---|---|
Parrots | 12-15 |
Corvids | 8-12 |
Owls | 6-20 |
Woodpeckers | 10-13 |
Hummingbirds | 12-18 |
Titmice | 15-17 |
Wrens | 16-20+ |
Swifts | 2-4 |
Seabirds | 3-10 |
Flamingos | 10-12 |