Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence Departments and Research Groups Niels Rattenborg News News and research highlights from the research group "Avian Sleep" All Too tired to stay alert? A difficult trade-off between sleep and vigilance March 31, 2025 Sleep-deprived European jackdaws trade vigilance for deep sleep – a strategy that could carry risks in the wild. more Honoring the publications of young scientists July 11, 2024 Young Scientist Award This year's Young Scientist Award goes to Gianina Ungurean and Giacomo Costalunga more Penguins nesting in a dangerous environment obtain large quantities of sleep via seconds-long microsleeps November 30, 2023 more When pigeons dream June 05, 2023 Birds show remarkably similar sleep patterns to humans and may experience flight in their dreams more Bird pupils behave unexpectedly different October 19, 2021 Pupil size changes in awake and sleeping birds in opposite ways to mammals more A deeper look inside the sleeping bird brain February 13, 2019 Similarities and differences between avian and mammalian sleep and possibly memory consolidation more Snoozing between the skies and Earth October 14, 2016 A team of scientists headed by Niels Rattenborg from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen has demonstrated, for the first time that birds can fly in sleep mode more First evidence of sleep in flight August 03, 2016 Birds engage in all types of sleep in flight, but in remarkably small amounts more Plumes in the sleeping avian brain March 05, 2014 Brain activity during slow-wave-sleep differs between mammals and birds more Baby owls sleep like baby humans August 02, 2013 Owlets spend more time in REM sleep than adult owls more You snooze, you lose August 09, 2012 Less sleep leads to more offspring in male pectoral sandpipers more Ostriches sleep like platypuses August 24, 2011 Sleep studies in ostriches uncover the evolution of REM sleep more Deep sleep in birds January 12, 2011 Brain regions sleep more deeply when used more - also in birds more Not living up to their name May 21, 2008 Sloths in the wild sleep a lot less than previously thought more "Power napping" in pigeons March 03, 2008 Pigeons prevented from taking naps in the afternoon sleep more intensely at night more
