Category: Birds
These handsome little birds are native to Australia, East Timor, and Indonesia. They can be found in many different types of habitats, including human-disturbed areas. They are able to nest almost anywhere – this can include bushes, rabbit holes, termite mounds, nests of other birds, and ledges of buildings. They are popular as pets and used extensively in genetic research.
Asleep at the wheel?
Can you imagine spending nearly all of your life in the air? The common swift doesn’t have to - it just does! From the day this bird learns to fly, it almost never touches the ground voluntarily - it eats, drinks, mates, and may even sleep while flying. While sleep walking can be problematic in humans, many birds have the ability to enter a state called unihemispheric slow-wave sleep, where one half of the brain sleeps as the other remains alert. This method of “sleeping with one eye open,” is a great way to avoid becoming another animal’s meal, and has led to the suspicion that these birds, who almost never willingly land, also sleep while in flight!
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Discover Animals is a web-based educational resource offered by the NAIA
