People are learning why little owls sleep "face" down

A funny image circulates these days on the web and shows an owl sleeping on his stomach. It looked like a fake but this habit is real

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

All babies at birth and for a few months have a very large head, in proportion to the rest of the body. This is even more true for owls, who are even forced to sleep on their stomachs for this reason. A funny picture is circulating on the web these days and the explanation is simple.

The photo, which first appeared as a meme, shows an owl literally lying on the ground. At first, the reliability of the source was questioned, many on social media ironized that the bird had raised its elbow a little, or rather the wing, and was recovering with a nap.

But the photo is true and it was the starting point to make known this unusual habit of owls. In fact, as children they usually sleep lying down, in a prone position.

I haven’t found the original source for this pic, but it‘s also suggests owls sometimes sleep laying down.

Although I haven’t found any other ground face-plants or science articles on teenagers being top-heavy unstable sleepers…

Any bird peeps want to confirm or debunk? pic.twitter.com/i1r98mIoJN

- Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) June 3, 2019

Basically, adult owls sleep on their feet when fully developed, but the youngest they struggle to bear the weight of their heads, so they have to lie down.

https://twitter.com/reviewwales/status/1274645239509254146

It was also confirmed in an article from the National Audubon Society, a nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to animal conservation.

Teenage owl sleep habits are way outside my lane, but I found (less hilarious) confirming accounts.

Kathy C of Dusty Lane encountered this face-planted napping friend: https://t.co/dqVgFQdUq7 pic.twitter.com/y22awph0Xf

- Mika McKinnon (@mikamckinnon) June 3, 2019

Joseph Clark relates that he discovered two little owls lying on the ground near his home in East Haddam, Connecticut. The young birds had fallen from an ancient maple and were being disturbed by crows.

Clark frightened the crows and, with the guidance of Kasha Breau from downtown Audubon in Connecticut, brought the young owls back to the tree. Mother owl stood nearby, keeping an eye on the rescue.

Once the birds were safe, Breau advised Clark to observe the animals napping during the day. What he saw enchanted him. Holding their claws tightly on a branch, the birds lay down on their bellies, turned their heads to the side and fell asleep.

"Their naps are short and when they sleep they don't like to be woken up, not even to be fed," explains Clark.

How to blame them?

Sources of reference: Twitter / Mark Rees, Audubon