Eagles are elegant birds, with a lifestyle that piques the interest of many bird lovers.
We want to know all about the king of birds, and such enthusiasm brings about a lot of questions.
One such question—which is the focus of this article—concerns eagles sleeping habits. How do eagles sleep?
Eagles have a peculiar sleeping posture. Unlike humans who generally lie down, Eagles sleep standing. They stay atop a tree branch with their heads tucked into their feathers. They sleep more at night as they are diurnal.
Let’s take a closer look into how eagles sleep, which would also include when they are most active.
How Do Eagles Sleep?
Once an eagle is tired and ready to sleep, it will look for a tree branch to perch on. That tree branch becomes the eagle’s “bed”.
The eagle locks its legs on the tree branch so it won’t fall off. Usually, it chooses a tree branch that is close to its nest.
Standing is an eagle’s sleeping position, but that isn’t the only way they sleep.
During breeding season and when incubating the egg, eagles can lie down.
Also, while eagles sleep on the tree branch close to their nest, they can find another comfortable tree if the nest is destroyed.
Eagles tuck their heads in the wings to cover themselves from the cold, preserving warmth throughout the night.
During winter periods when the cold is high, eagles seek the company of other eagles to maintain warmth while they sleep.
When Are Eagles Most Active?
Eagles are diurnal, making them more active in the morning. Most eagles sleep during the early night, and when it is sunrise they’re up for their daily activities.
These activities often revolve around hunting for food and catering to their young ones.
This is why people who want to see an eagle in action are advised to arrive early at their habitat.
The best time to embark on eagle watching is between 10 and 11 am. By afternoon, they would already be soaring high.
Do Eagles Sleep With Their Eyes Open?
Eagles sleep with their eyes closed, much like we do. Their heads stay between the wings as stated above.
As to whether they can sleep with one eye open, is hard to verify.
Many birds, reptiles, mammals, and even humans experience unihemispheric sleep, which leads to half the brain being awake and eye open. It isn’t certain if the eagle does that.
Birds that experience unihemispheric sleep are usually prey, so they remain alert even while taking a snooze.
Eagles don’t have such problems, and so it seems eagles sleep better than smaller prey birds.
However, eagles don’t sleep as deeply as humans. They sleep for short periods during the night, always on alert, because they can still face attacks from nocturnal animals trying to get to their nest.
What Time Does an Eagle Wake Up?
Eagles wake up with the sunrise, and they get active as soon as they do. By 10 a.m, eagles are already going about their day-to-day activities.
It is around 10 a.m that they get their breakfast, and during afternoon periods you might see them flying high. Some eagles can also choose to rest in the afternoon.
The evening period is another active time for eagles. At around 4 to 5 pm, eagles take advantage of the setting sun to look for dinner (for themselves and their eaglets).
Eagles don’t have a strong night vision and will need to hunt down their meal before the sunset.
Do Eagles Sleep in their Nests at Night?
We mentioned above that eagles sleep on tree branches close to their nests, but do they sleep in their nests too?
The answer is yes, eagles can sleep in their nests at night. This happens more when two eagles start laying eggs. Both parents spend more time in the nest as the eggs incubate.
After the eggs incubate, one parent could stay with the young eaglets to guard them while the other seeks food.
As the eaglets mature, the parents give them more space. The parents stay on tree branches to keep an eye on the eaglets.
The eagles leave the nests after raising the eaglets and will only get back to repair the nest during the next breeding season. Their off time is usually during winter.
How Many Hours Do Eagles Sleep?
Many eagles sleep at around 8 to 9 pm and usually find the tree branches they want to sleep on at around 6 pm.
At that time, the eagle should have found its dinner. 8 and 9 pm might seem too early for some people, but it is appropriate for the eagle.
Eagles sleep about 10 to 12 hours a day, higher than the average 8 hours for a human adult. Of course, these hours of sleep for the eagles aren’t on a stretch.
Because of these short periods, an eagle can immediately wake up at the sound of anything threatening, even before the 10 to 12 hours elapse.
Do Eagles Sleep Standing Up?
Yes, eagles sleep standing up. They can also lie down when necessary, but their preference (or instinct) seems to be standing up.
The flexor tendons on their toes grip the branch, making it sleep without falling.
Adult parent eagles also adopt this posture when guarding their nest. From a survival standpoint, the posture helps them stay alert.
They can easily swoop into action while standing than lying down.
Do Eagles Sleep in the Same Place Every Night?
The location an eagle chooses to sleep depends on the time of year, so they don’t sleep in the same spot all through.
When breeding, eagles either sleep very close to the nest or in the nest itself. When breeding season is over, eagles find a place that’s appropriate for them.
An eagle can also find itself sleeping in different places at night if its nest gets destroyed.
The experience is disorienting for eagles, and they will end up looking for other different places for their resting period.
Eagles also move during winter to get to their congregational roosting sites.
Summary
Eagles are diurnal birds that are more active in the morning and evening. At night, they find a comfortable branch to sleep on.
This branch could be close to their nests or elsewhere, depending on whether or not it is breeding season.
During the breeding season, eagles could also stay in the nest. It also knows how to adapt to weather changes and the loss of nests.
Eagles sleep either standing up or lying down. The estimated sleep time is 10 to 12 hours, but they don’t sleep on a stretch as they remain on alert.
