Do birds dream?

[Maxie]

Hello everybody 😊

I was wondering if anyone knows if birds dream.

The reason I ask is that I recently adopted a third lovebird and around 3 ish each night, he’ll chirp a few times and then stop. He has been doing it since the first night I brought him home. At first I thought he might be afraid of the dark so I left on the salt lamp as a night light. He still does it. My other two sleep like rocks through the night...never a peep.

[BlueBull]

According to what I've read and also from personal experience, yes indeed they do. My birds sometimes have nightmares, making them panic in the middle of the night, after which I need to go calm them down. Chirping during sleep also regularly happens indeed. I even read somewhere that they can be traumatized by nightmares but I don't know if this is true

[linda040899]

I agree that birds dream. My lovebird room is normally very quiet at night but it seem like nightly, I can hear a couple of seconds of chirping. I live with 4 Cockatiels and Tiels are known for night frights. Something goes bump in the night and they flutter and trash all over the cage until I turn on a light and they can see. I leave a salt lamp night light on for them so they can see. It does help.

[Maxie]

Interesting. I wonder if they dream about any past traumatic experience?

I’ve never had any birds that chirped during the night....even my budgies used to sleep right through.

[linda040899]

Based on my experience with my own flock, I think the night chirping is caused by outside noise or unexpected light in the darkness. Before I moved, I was within 1/3 of a mile of train tracks. Most of the trains went by during the day but we had a few during the night. Each time one went by, I would have a few alarm chirps to let me know that something was going on. Here at the new house, the train tracks are much further away, but we have motion detector and the lights will go on if any creature goes across our back yard. The lights, of course, cause the lovebirds to chirp the alarm that something isn't right, at least the way they see it....... I have a dog but she's deaf so she's oblivious to all this!