Hummingbirds are unique little birds that capture the imagination with their diminutive size, iridescent colors, and ability to hover in midair as they drink nectar from flowers. These tiny birds have some interesting behaviors when it comes to their sleeping habits.
Do hummingbirds sleep?
Yes, hummingbirds do sleep. They go into a hibernation-like state called torpor where their metabolic rate slows down dramatically and they enter a deep sleep. Torpor allows hummingbirds to conserve a huge amount of energy when they sleep. Their breathing slows, their heart rate drops, and their body temperature decreases significantly.
When do hummingbirds go to sleep?
Hummingbirds tend to sleep at night, just like most birds. They need to consume a large amount of food during the day to power their rapid wing beats and energetic lifestyle. At night when nectar sources are not available, they enter torpor to sleep through the night.
The exact time that hummingbirds go to sleep depends on when the sun sets. In most locations, hummingbirds will start preparing for sleep about an hour before sunset. They will choose a sheltered sleeping spot like a tree branch, shrub, or nest and then go into their torpor state as darkness falls.
How long do hummingbirds sleep?
On average, hummingbirds sleep between 10-12 hours each night. Their sleep is not continuous though – they emerge from torpor multiple times through the night for brief periods of waking up. These short waking bouts allow them to readjust their posture, groom their feathers, and raise their body temperature before going back into torpor.
During the night, hummingbirds go through about 4-5 sleep cycles. Each cycle consists of 30-45 minutes of deep torpor sleep followed by a 5-15 minute waking period. This means they obtain around 10 hours of total torpor sleep broken up by short intervals of waking through the night.
Where do hummingbirds sleep?
Hummingbirds don’t build enclosed nests to sleep in like many other birds. At night they enter torpor while perching on branches, vines, twigs, and even wires. They prefer protected spots out of the wind and rain. Here are some of the best places hummingbirds sleep:
- Tree branches – Hummingbirds particularly like sleeping on horizontal branches that provide cover overhead.
- Nests – Female hummingbirds sleeping on their tightly woven nests built while breeding.
- Vines – They cling to vines on walls, trees, and porches overnight.
- Eaves – Protected eaves on houses or under roof overhangs are prime spots.
- Garages – Rafters and beams in garages are popular overnight perches.
- Porch furniture – They sleep on chairs, swings, ordecorations on porches.
Choosing protected sleeping spots helps hummingbirds conserve energy overnight by avoiding wind, rain, and unnecessary heat loss.
Do hummingbirds sleep in the rain?
Hummingbirds will avoid sleeping in heavy rain when possible. However, they sometimes get caught by surprise storms or showers overnight. Their small size makes them prone to losing body heat rapidly if soaked by rain.
If stuck sleeping in the rain, hummingbirds enter a deeper torpor to conserve energy. This torpor is not quite as rejuvenating as their normal sleep cycles though. They may need to spend more time feeding the next day to make up for the disturbed sleep. Providing artificial cover or leaving porch lights on can give them a place to escape the rain.
Do hummingbirds sleep standing up?
Yes, hummingbirds have the remarkable ability to sleep while perching. They lock their feet in place around a branch or vine and enter torpor without falling. Their legs have a special mechanism that allows them to swivel their feet into position for firm grasping. Tendons in their feet allow them to clamp down with adequate force to support their weight all night.
This adaption allows hummingbirds to sleep exposed on branches and vines rather than having to find cavities or enclosed spaces. While perching to sleep they will fluff out their feathers to trap heat since they are exposed. They also position themselves so they can tuck their beak into their back feathers to conserve warmth.
Do hummingbirds sleep on feeders?
It is rare, but hummingbirds may occasionally sleep overnight on a feeder, particularly during migration seasons. More commonly, they perch nearby feeders so they can access the nectar first thing in the morning when they wake up. Feeders don’t provide ideal grip for their feet to grasp, so they likely won’t sleep there all night.
Leaving feeders out overnight with fresh nectar can be helpful for migrating hummingbirds who need fuel. Just be sure to clean the feeders thoroughly in the morning to avoid spoilage. Never add red food coloring to the nectar which is unhealthy.
Do hummingbirds sleep in nests?
Female hummingbirds will sleep in their nests for part of the breeding season. The small, cup-shaped nests provide shelter and camouflage for the mothers while incubating eggs and sheltering newly hatched chicks.
Once the chicks are older, the mothers will leave the nest to sleep on nearby perches. This prevents them from disturbing or injuring the growing chicks in the tight space overnight. The mothers continue to faithfully return to the nest to care for the babies through the day.
Fun facts about hummingbird sleep
- Their heart rate drops from around 500 beats per minute while awake to just 50-180 beats per minute in torpor sleep.
- Oxygen consumption can decrease up to 95% compared to wakefulness.
- Body temperature falls dramatically from 104°F when active to as low as 48°F overnight.
- Young hummingbirds tend to sleep longer and have lower body temperatures than adults while in torpor.
- They often return to the same sleeping perch night after night.
- If food is scarce, they may spend more time sleeping to conserve energy.
- Hummingbirds that migrate long distances sleep for up to 14 hours per night before migrating.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds may be tiny, but they have some fascinating behavioral and physiological adaptations when it comes to sleeping. Their ability to enter torpor – a deep hibernation-like state – allows them to conserve energy and survive nights in small, exposed sleeping spots. While the exact timing of their sleep varies, most hummingbirds settle down to sleep about an hour before sunset and sleep for around 10-12 hours, with brief nighttime waking periods mixed in. Understanding when and where these energetic little birds sleep can help you provide nectar for them first thing in the morning to get them fueled up for a busy day of whirring flight.
