When birds sit quietly on a branch for long periods during winter, they are not usually sleeping but conserving energy, ...

Scientists have known for a while that many birds, including the buoyant frigate bird, can fly non-stop for weeks without having to rest on the ground. In fact, songbirds, swifts, seabirds and ...

Researchers have tracked muscle contractions in a bird's vocal tract, and reconstructed the song it was silently singing in its sleep. The resulting audio is a very specific call, allowing the team to ...

A few weeks ago when I was out cycling with some friends, we saw a few birds who looked like they were sleeping. Someone asked me what they were doing, and I said they were resting or sleeping but I'd ...

We already know that some birds can fly for weeks or even months at a time without landing, but this remarkable ability has raised a few questions about how, if at all, these creatures find the time ...

The benefits of sleep are shared across the animal kingdom. Sleep saves energy by slowing down the metabolism and allows animals to avoid high-energy activities. For vertebrates, sleep is an essential ...

Scientists brought to life the silent, sleeping songs of two great kiskadees. Andrej Chudý via Flickr under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED While birds are fast asleep, their brains remain active, firing off ...

Curling up for a good night's sleep when you are feeling under the weather may be just the antidote but some birds risk their lives by snuggling up to conserve energy. Songbirds tuck themselves in ...

The weariest warblers are more likely to sleep with their heads tucked in — saving energy, but making them more vulnerable to predators. By Emily Anthes Every spring, throngs of garden warblers make a ...