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Evidence that birds sleep in mid-flight

Author

Listed:
  • Niels C Rattenborg

    (Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology)

  • Bryson Voirin

    (Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
    California Academy of Sciences)

  • Sebastian M. Cruz

    (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology)

  • Ryan Tisdale

    (Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology)

  • Giacomo Dell’Omo

    (Ornis italica)

  • Hans-Peter Lipp

    (Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich
    Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich
    School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, Kwazulu-Natal University)

  • Martin Wikelski

    (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
    University of Konstanz)

  • Alexei L. Vyssotski

    (Institute of Neuroinformatics, University of Zurich and Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH))

Abstract

Many birds fly non-stop for days or longer, but do they sleep in flight and if so, how? It is commonly assumed that flying birds maintain environmental awareness and aerodynamic control by sleeping with only one eye closed and one cerebral hemisphere at a time. However, sleep has never been demonstrated in flying birds. Here, using electroencephalogram recordings of great frigatebirds (Fregata minor) flying over the ocean for up to 10 days, we show that they can sleep with either one hemisphere at a time or both hemispheres simultaneously. Also unexpectedly, frigatebirds sleep for only 0.69 h d−1 (7.4% of the time spent sleeping on land), indicating that ecological demands for attention usually exceed the attention afforded by sleeping unihemispherically. In addition to establishing that birds can sleep in flight, our results challenge the view that they sustain prolonged flights by obtaining normal amounts of sleep on the wing.

Suggested Citation

  • Niels C Rattenborg & Bryson Voirin & Sebastian M. Cruz & Ryan Tisdale & Giacomo Dell’Omo & Hans-Peter Lipp & Martin Wikelski & Alexei L. Vyssotski, 2016. "Evidence that birds sleep in mid-flight," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-9, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12468
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12468
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    Cited by:

    1. Ngueuteu Mbouna, S.G. & Banerjee, Tanmoy & Yamapi, René & Woafo, Paul, 2022. "Diverse chimera and symmetry-breaking patterns induced by fractional derivation effect in a network of Stuart-Landau oscillators," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    2. Nganso, E. Njinkeu & Mbouna, S.G. Ngueuteu & Yamapi, R. & Filatrella, G. & Kurths, J., 2023. "Two-attractor chimera and solitary states in a network of nonlocally coupled birhythmic van der Pol oscillators," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

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