Geese have some highly unusual sleeping habits. They can sleep in the air, in the water, or on land. And they don’t even need to make a nest! How is this possible?
Geese can sleep while flying or swimming using a process called uni-hemispheric sleep. They may also rest on land, or in their nest while maintaining a basic level of awareness, keeping them safe from predators.
In this article, we’ll look in detail at where exactly geese sleep, how they manage to sleep while they are flying 15,000 feet above the ground, and a quick look at their nesting habits.
Where do Geese Sleep?
Geese are the rolling stones of the bird world. They don’t create permanent nests, they migrate during winter (often for thousands of miles every year) and they can sleep while swimming or even flying.
Geese have some very interesting sleeping locations and behaviors. Let’s take a look at some of them:
1. In The Air
No, this is not clickbait. Geese really can sleep while they are flying.
Geese can sleep while they are flying by using a process called unihemispheric sleep. This sleep ability is shared by many birds as well as aquatic mammals such as dolphins and whales and allows them to sleep with half their brain while keeping the other half in a semi-awake state.
While they rest one half of their brain, geese flying in formation can use the other half of their brain to keep them in position, which helps them conserve energy and minimize the amount of flapping they need to do.
2. In The Water
Geese are a type of waterfowl, meaning they are aquatic birds. Similar to ducks and swans, geese can sleep while floating on the water.
You can tell when a goose is sleeping because they will tuck their head back into their wing.
Just like with flying, geese use unihemispheric sleep to maintain a minimal level of awareness when they are swimming in the water, to keep them alert and able to recognize predators or movements in the water.
3. In Their Nests
Geese make temporary nests during breeding season, usually beside the water or on small islands.
When a goose is ready to brood, she will defend her nest by sleeping on her eggs. Female geese often do not even leave the nest to feed, relying on stored energy to sustain themselves until their eggs hatch.
This helps protect their eggs from rats, foxes, and the many predators that pose a threat to goslings and eggs.
Read More: Natural Predators of Geese
4. On Land
Although geese may sleep in their nests during breeding season, outside of breeding season geese are generally quite happy to sleep wherever they like.
Depending on the species, some geese prefer to sleep in open fields so they can see predators approaching, and some prefer to sleep under the cover of trees, shrubs, or bushes.
Geese can be quite aggressive if they are disturbed in their sleep, which poses a problem for many cities and municipalities, especially in North America where geese often choose to roost in public parks and spaces.
FAQs
Do Geese Sleep on One Leg?
Geese sometimes stand on one leg to preserve body heat, however when geese sleep on land they usually lie down when they sleep with both legs tucked under them.
Do Geese Sleep at Night?
Yes, geese are diurnal and usually sleep at night.
The one time geese don’t sleep at night when they are defending their nests and the rest of the flock from predators.
Read More: Why Do Geese Honk At Night?
Geese are quite a social species, cooperating with each other to look after their young, find food, and to look out for predators while the flock sleeps.
Geese take turns flying at the front during migration, and likewise, when geese sleep at night they take turns sleeping and watching out for predators.
Read More: Do Geese Live Together?
Do Geese Sleep with One Eye Open?
Geese can sleep with one eye open, and yes, the open eye remains fully functional even while they are sleeping. Creepy.
This is due to the unihemispheric method of sleep geese employ, which allows them to rest half of their brain at one time while maintaining a semi-lucid state of wakefulness with their other half.
Do Geese Sleep in Trees?
Geese are usually too large to sleep in trees. Geese can weigh up to 14lbs (6.5kg) which is too heavy for all but the thickest branches.
Although geese don’t usually sleep IN trees, the bark from young trees makes perfect nesting material for geese during breeding season, and geese will frequently pull the bark from live trees for making their nests.
Conclusion
Geese don’t really have a particular sleeping location.
Geese are happy to sleep almost anywhere and have a special ability to sleep while keeping half of their brain in a semi-awake state, allowing them to sleep while flying, floating on water, or even while keeping one eye open to keep an eye out for predators.
When geese make nests, only the female sleeps in the nest, and only when she has eggs and is ready to brood. Geese are particularly protective of their eggs, and once the mother in the nest she will not leave until her chicks have hatched, even to feed herself.
The males usually sleep nearby and keep watch for predators like rats that would eat the eggs.
Stuart is the editor of Fauna Facts. He edits our writers’ work as well as contributing his own content. Stuart is passionate about sustainable farming and animal welfare and has written extensively on cows and geese for the site.