I have 2 birds living with me and they are soo cute but sometimes they tend to sleep with their head backwards? It was so odd when I saw that, funny too. But why?
2006-07-23 11:29:25 · 13 answers · asked by The1ULuv2Hate 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
The position you've described is a normal sleeping position for almost all birds. It's the best position to keep warm. Warm blooded animals need to conserve their heat because it takes too much energy staying warm. The less energy used on staying warm, such as holding the heat close to your body when sleeping, makes living and eating that much easier. :-) . It's like sticking your hands under your armpits- the area they bury their heads is the warmest spot for their head. Some birds will also sleep with one foot tucked under their belly. It's interesting to note that they've found a dinosaur who was killed while sleeping and it, too, had tucked its head over its back! I've added two articles on that as it describes why birds sleep in the positions they do and how dinosaurs probably did the same thing for the same reasons.
Some species sleep in the weirdest positions. I have a baby green cheek conure who likes to lay on her back with her head under her favorite toy. Her cage mates will sometimes join her but they lay on their stomachs with their feet stretched out behind them. I'm wondering if the stinkers got into my cats' catnip stash! ^.^ Weird weird birds >.< !
2006-07-23 12:57:44 · answer #1 · answered by white_ravens_white_crows 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's just a comfortable,warm position for a bird to sleep with its head tucked into its back or wing.My birds do it all of the time(and my birds are 18 years old,25 years old;even the 1 year-old likes to tuck her head into her back feathers for a nap..they've done it for years).In fact,most of the birds I've owned over the past 40 years liked to tuck their beaks in their back feathers to take a nap and keep toasty...conserve body heat.
2006-07-23 11:57:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If they fell asleep with there heads forward then their heads would fall forward and down and put them off balance and they'd fall of the perch in their sleep.
2006-07-23 11:44:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I had a canary once that did that...I always assumed she was tucking her head back under her feathers to help block out light so she could snooze in peace.
2006-07-23 11:44:08 · answer #4 · answered by ohevshalomel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Birds generally tuck their head back when they sleep, it really is comfortable for them, they rest their beak on their feathers, because thier beak is temertaure sensitive.
Its really funny when you see toucans do it, with their big beak.
2006-07-23 16:13:01 · answer #5 · answered by fatwhale90 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well, the usually before they fall asleep pick at thier feathers on their back, then they fall asleep doing it, and dont move their heads back >8D
2006-07-23 11:35:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they don't have chests to rest their heads on.
2006-07-23 11:35:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it helps keep their balance while sleeping on one leg. also they puff up and keep themselves warm this way.
2006-07-23 16:35:32 · answer #8 · answered by bruce p 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
belive it or not they do it to simply rest there heads/necks
2006-07-24 08:50:48 · answer #9 · answered by Kira M 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because their back acts like a pillow.
2006-07-23 11:37:50 · answer #10 · answered by Loser55555 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋