Owls are the most intelligent animals, and the sleeping cycles of these nocturnal birds vary from those of other avian species.Owls are known worldwide to be active during the night and sleep during the day. The fact that the babies of owls sleep or lie down on their bellies with their faces down or sideways is less known by humans.It is known that these birds sleep all year round with their backs straight and their faces in an upright pattern. However, the babies of these species, owlets, are weak in their immunity and sleep on their stomachs with their backs above. The faces and heads of owlets are heavy, which do not allow them to sleep the same way as an adult.The National Audubon Society explains that young owls do not fall from trees because of their back toes, or hallux, which hold tightly to the branches of trees. Unless the legs of the bird are not bent, the hallux will not open and it appears to be in a position that is locked.Barred owlets are known to rest on the ground near their wild home. In many cases, they are chased away by ravens, which makes it difficult for them to rest on the branches of trees. With the beautiful photo of an owl, you might even guess that these birds get their power from the short naps they take during the day. The eyes of owls seem to be open because they have three eyelids.If you enjoyed reading this article about how do owls sleep, then do learn some interesting and surprising fun facts about other owl behaviors such as why do owls hoot and are owls nocturnal.Do owls sleep on their stomachs?No, adult owls do not sleep on their stomachs, while the babies of owls, called owlets, are known to sleep on their stomachs.Owls are nocturnal birds. Owls are known to sleep in a sitting position. Sometimes, the owl is compared to the diurnal bird, eagle, as they both are in the category of raptors. They directly shoot at their prey with their sharp talons. The sleeping patterns of these species are also known to be the same. Owls generally sleep upright, while the babies of an owl sleep on their stomachs due to their heavy faces. According to Rees, little baby owls sleep face down on their stomachs.An owl’s sleeping pattern is quite different from other birds’ because of their disk-like faces without ear tufts. Little baby owls sleep facing sideward, laying down on their stomachs. The strength of the young or little baby owls is considered to be weak in comparison to adult owls. Baby owls are not able to handle their heads and are mostly seen asleep or taking naps on branches of trees.You might be attracted to seeing the photos of these night birds, especially ones of a sleeping owl. Little baby owls are known to develop their strength with the passage of time as they grow into adult owls and are weak because of their immunity while the bodies of these creatures are developing. If they are kept in captivity as pets by humans, then you might see these cute baby owls fall asleep on the floor or ground of the house with their backs in an upward direction.How long do owls sleep?These adorable night birds sleep for 12-17 hours a day, but the sleeping pattern of these birds varies from other birds. Owls are found sleeping during the day and waking up in the night.Every species, including humans, need a little rest to build up their immune systems, so do animals and bird species. The sleeping hours of owls differ from species to species. These birds are known to have a high metabolism. These high-metabolism birds also need to retain and save their energy for the rest of the day for other activities.Most birds require a 12-hours sleep cycle to maintain their immunity and strength. An owl sleeps during the day and when the day enters dusk time, the owl’s day begins. The loud cries of an owl can be heard in the night. If you spot an owl, then you might notice that they always sit in an alert position with their heads up, which can also be rotated at 270 degrees.They are known to take short naps during the day and fall asleep in 11 seconds. Though an owl sleeps, the brain on one side is awake to keep the body safe from predators. Adorable little baby owls or young owls sometimes look quite similar to mammalian babies. For example, barred owls are known to sleep from dawn to dusk with an average sleep of 28% each hour.Where do owls sleep during the day?Owls sleep near the nest on a branch of trees, chimneys, left-out places, and tree hollows.An owl spends most of its life in solitude, and adults might be seen in pairs. However, most owls are seen sleeping or taking naps with their heads straight up. During the winter season, you might spot owls in groups in order to provide warmth to each other. Little owlets also seem to be similar in the sleeping pattern to that of an adult when it is about the place where they sleep.Owls, or their little babies called owlets, live on a branch of trees, hollows of trees, chimneys, or deserted places. When they are kept in captivity as pets, they can be seen in elevated areas or in corners of the house. Owlets can even be seen sleeping on the ground or floor of the house. An owl never sleeps in the nest as they are not good nest builders and can be seen sitting on their tiny legs with big long talons near the nest.Mostly, owls are known to take over the nests of hawks, eagles, falcons, and other birds or animals’ nests. An owl’s sleeping place, be it on the ground or in a branch, is called a roost. Owls are known to sleep in a standing position and close their eyes. They make a strong grip with their claws on the branch of the tree to balance the body. Barred owls can be seen sitting on the ground near the trees they live in. Snowy owls are known to sleep on the mountains, rocks, and hilly areas of the North Pole.Do owls sleep with their eyes open?An owl sleeps with its eyes open as these birds have sharp eyes. However, they cannot roll them and are able to turn their neck and head at 270 degrees.An owl is believed to have fixed eyes and does not have eyeballs. They are more like eye tubes. Owls have binocular vision, similar to that of humans, from which they can see different animals and objects with both eyes. This allows the owl to have great sensibility and smarts. The owl can not move its eyes because of sclerotic rings fixed in their skull.The eyes have three eyelids, one for blinking, one for sleeping, and one for keeping their eye tubes clean. So, even if they close their eyes, they appear to be open. The night vision of these birds is great and good to prey on animals at a distance.Why do owls sleep during the day?Owls sleep during the day because they are nocturnal birds, and it is believed that these birds are awake at night because they avoid competition with other raptors.They are in the category of raptors such as eagles, hawks, and falcons. Mostly, raptors are seen sleeping at night and active during the daytime, while owls are just the opposite in comparison to other raptors. It is believed by many that these birds take naps or sleep on a branch of a tree during the day in order to avoid competition. Ravens are known to be owl predators.The fur of owls is also believed to be well camouflaged with the surroundings, so they must also have become nocturnal for this reason. An owl’s vision and hunting skills are more powerful and full of strength during the night. They take a nap with half of their brains awake. Owls are carnivores and eat food like rabbits, snakes, and lizards. In a year, they can eat around 1000 mice. They are intelligent animals and store their food for the winter season. They might even migrate if they find it too hard to survive in the environment.If you want to keep an owl as a pet, then you really need to be cautious because they are not good at social skills and need to be groomed for this. Sometimes, even if owlets are kept as pets, they need to be groomed. They can live up to 25 years. The basic needs of an owl is a roost, food, and a safe place to nest.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how do owls sleep, then why not take a look at are owls smart, or laughing owl fun facts for kids?
Owls are the most intelligent animals, and the sleeping cycles of these nocturnal birds vary from those of other avian species.
