My IRN has a weird sleeping position

[Tullysmom]

Okay I have a question.. May seem odd, but my bird is a little odd.

Okay, Willis sleeps covered at night and never has an issue. I think since we live in WA and it is the middle of Winter he doesn't mind it one bit. So usually in the morning before I uncover his cage he'll already be up and talking to himself. Well the last three mornings he was still sleeping when it was "up time" so I took the cover off and there he was sleeping in the corner of his cage, up high, with one foot on the side of the cage and one foot on the back of the cage holding on to the bars. Legs totally spread apart. Durning the day he'll be perched and tuck his head like any "normal" bird when he sleeps, but at night he likes that corner. Does anyone elses bird do this or is Willis just bizarre? I don't know if I should try and stick a perch there or one of those little birdie huts or if I should just leave the little goofball alone and let him sleep any way he likes. Does anyone have any thoughts? Thanks in advance. ~Vicki

[Monica]

It may seem strange or abnormal to us, but I think it's perfectly normal for the birds! I have one budgie that I've caught, more than one occasion, sleeping with one foot attached to the top of the cage, and the other foot attached to the side of the cage, doing the splits... Sometimes, in these positions, she'll flip her body so that she's always upright.

[Tullysmom]

Well...that makes me feel better... Thanks Monica. Nice to know that I don't have the only weird little duck. I just keep thinking that CAN'T be comfortable, but what do I know?

[Monica]

Well, for the birds, it's quite comfortable! Naturally, when perching birds go to sleep, their feet lock into place so that they don't fall off the branch... As for my cherry head, she used to be in a cage (when I got her) that had the smooth manzanita branches... much too big for her feet... she couldn't lock her feet, and would often times lean forward while sleeping, thus falling from her perch... she no longer has any soft branches of this type....

[2horse]

I have seen one of my aviary irn sleeping hanging from the cage roof. The birdie looked dead the way his entire body was relaxing. In the rain they all hang spread out upside down taking a shower with all the accompaning wing and tail shaking. I guess this spread out legs thing is a way to stop them falling when they flap wings to get them throughly soaked. When they have had enough they go under the shelter to preen dry.

[Tullysmom]

2horse, Upsided down? Like a bat? That must be pretty cute. After you get over the shock of thinking they're dead.

[2horse]

He also gets embarrased when he is seen doing that. I have a dome top aviary and he hangs like this from the roof resting against the dividing side. The lower half is open so they have both sides of the aviary. The first time I saw him he looked dead, I thought his feet had become stuck in the cage roof and he died struggling. When he saw me he flew to the perch the others sleep on at night.
It is only one male I have ever seen doing this. It seems he like this because I have seen him since if I sneak a look at night from afar.

I dont generally go close to the cages at night because they get frightened. The suns all sleep in the nesting boxes but the ringnecks and budgies do not. The budgies all try sleep on one swing. I only go to them if I first hear a noise.

[Cindy215]

IME if you turn the lighting off too abruptly they end up in unnatural positions although like Monica said it's not "so" unnatural. But if they are in natural light no artificial, and go to bed at dusk (or simulated with a dimmer on a lamp on the floor) they will go to their favorite roosting spot. And stay there.

Also if they are startled in their sleep they flap around and end up those odd ways. Example, computers flashing, tv's, human noise, car lights shining through windows etc.

I would adjust how I put him to bed at night. If it's already late and the sun is down I'd dim the lighting slowly over 15-30 minutes. Preferably with a lamp on the floor to simulate the angle of the sun. Dusk and dawn are important. The sensor in the brain needs to shut down into sleep mode, it's activated by light. That's how their bodies know what season it is. Walmart sells a dimmer with a dial you turn that screws in the bulb socket not the tapping kind it only goes three taps worth low med and high, never off completely.

You saying he takes a "big" sleep with the beak nestled in his back during the day tells me he's probably getting less sleep than he'd like overnight. My birds have always followed a strict natural daylight schedule and never sleep during the day. It's really rare when mine do.

If it's winter they get long nights if it's summer long days. They just rest but dont even shut their eyes. This isnt a critisicm alot of working people follow a different schedule it's just something to consider.

[Tullysmom]

Thanks for the advice Cindy. I'm a stay at home mom though so no really "working schedule" here. Both birds get at least 12 hours sleep at night. I like them well rested so they aren't crabby the next day. We can't really do the the natural daylight thing here. If so they'd have a L-O-N-G rest at night. Although the days are getting a little longer now. Slowly. Since neither bird is native to Washington state I didn't want to put them on our natural daylight schedule. They go to bed around 7:00 and then they get up around 7:00 when the little kids get up. They both cat nap during the day though. Will has never flapped around after bedtime either. I do dim the lights before bedtime and then cover their cages. I have heard a lot of IRN owners say that their RN don't like to be covered, but that's never been an issue with us. Has it with you? Just curious. Willis is never in that position when he's covered but seems to like to go there. Always the same spot now, always the same position. It's kind of cute.

2horse, I just laugh when I picture that crazy bird of yours! Is he the only bird that you've ever seen do that? I can imagine the first time you saw him doing that....my heart would have stopped! How many birds do you have?

[christie99]

My IRN sleeps the same way! Lately I have hung one of the triangular "sleeping huts" in the cage and she altranates between the corner of the cage and the top of that. Never inside it or on a pearch. Silly birds.