We sleep and whistle: it turns out that birds snore too (3 photos + 4 videos)

Why do birds make strange sounds in their sleep?





We have all experienced snoring at least once in our lives. Either someone else's snoring bothers us at night, or we bother someone else with our own snoring. A runny nose, excess weight, allergies and even a bad mood are some of the causes of snoring.



However, the reasons may be more ordinary: an uncomfortable position in bed or a certain phase of sleep. The sound itself is associated with vibration of the soft tissues of the nasopharynx.

It's not just humans who snore, animals also tend to make strange, involuntary sounds. This is a fairly common phenomenon that is characteristic of all mammals.

Here, too, not everything is so simple, it can be like a disease: inflammation of the nasal passages, recessed tongue. Or aging in general. Sometimes this is a problem that requires treatment, including surgery.



If you suddenly worry about your health or that of your pet, you should consult a doctor or veterinarian rather than self-medicate, which can only cause harm. Professionals will advise what to do best, what drops, rinses or aerosols to use.

 

The most interesting thing is that even birds snore. Moreover, ornithologists claim that a healthy individual cannot make wheezing sounds. The cause of this may be inflammation of the respiratory tract, but in general this is an anomaly.

There are many videos on the Internet dedicated to birds that snore: for example, a duckling that has warmed up on its owner’s belly and is snoring carelessly.



You can also see a video of a hummingbird that went viral in 2014-2015. A scientist from Peru, during an experiment on a bird, tried for several minutes to understand where the squeaking sound was coming from and even checked the batteries until he noticed the feathered little thing that was snoring.



Ornithologist Alejandro Rico-Guevara, the author of the video, notes that in fact, the thin high-pitched sound is a way out of the “daze” after sleep. The fact is that during rest, birds enter a kind of suspended animation to save energy and quickly restore strength. It is when the hummingbird comes out of this state that it requires an increased level of oxygen and saturates the lungs with it and causes a similar sound.

You can also appreciate a chicken snoring in the hay, but under the video there are many comments indicating to the author that the bird has edema, and its sounds are not funny, but are a consequence of a serious illness.

 

However, some ornithologists write that normal, non-painful snoring in birds is still possible due to the structure of the uvula.

Well, or a parrot can make similar sounds if they are made by the owner sleeping in the same room with him. But this is already a conscious sound and an attempt to copy snoring.

As a result, scientists still have not decided and have not come to a consensus whether the various sounds made by birds can be considered snoring. Most ornithologists still agree that this behavior of birds is a cold or other illness.