Do Birds Ever Sleep?

As every other creature in the world birds also need to rest. It has been proved that birds can live with less sleep than humans. Birds sleep in order to relax their muscles and save energy but not to rest their brain. 

Great part of sea birds sleep for a very short time. For example, swallows land on water very rarely and they can fly for years sleeping only for couple of seconds at a time. Sea birds fly using the wind, so they save their energy.

Most of the birds are active during the day and rest during the night. Exception are birds that hunt at night, such as owls and nighthawk.

Birds use nests for mating but other than that they rest in bushes, on trees and on the ground itself when they are not in danger. For instance, most of the ducks sleep afloat and some sleep standing. 

There are birds that sleep hanging from the branches, most often with one leg. They don’t fall on the ground because their claws can remain clenched when the rest of the muscles relax.