birdie dreaming?

[cdnbirdlover]

My lovie sleeps on the main floor of our house; we all sleep upstairs. He goes to bed just before the kids. He goes to sleep quickly and I never hear him when I'm getting the house in order and putting myself to bed. But I often hear him in the middle of the night. He will peep a couple of times around 2 or 3 am, sometimes later as well. I leave the house at 530 for a yoga class and never hear him then (fortunately he doesn't hear me!). He will peep shortly after I'm back as the house is waking up and making noise.

What are these middle of the night peeps all about? Is he dreaming? Is he calling me? Earlier in the summer, he would talk to the outside birds when they started their early morning singing. But the outside birds are quiet now. He isn't persistent with the peeps so I don't think he's calling me. His toys and food are undisturbed when I uncover him (and his poop is all in one spot, under his favourite sleeping perch) so I don't think he's roaming around there in the night.

Just curious.

Andrea and Basil

 

[kc_y0]

Do you cover him up? He may be seeing shadows or moving things that frighten him if not. I couldn't think of anything else. I know when I don't cover my bird she has 'night terrors' and lets out a few random squawks during the night.

 

[cdnbirdlover]

Yes, he is covered up with a dark sheet and a heavy blanket. It's dark down here...no lights on and no one comes downstairs during the night. Poor Basil, I hope there is nothing scaring him.

 

[kc_y0]

If he is covered then this may not be the problem. Hopefully other people will be able to give you some better answers!

 

[coral3]

My princess used to have night terrors occasionally. It was as though she'd been dreaming about a snake trying to eat her or something, she'd be in such a state. She would suddenly start flapping about in her cage in a mad panic for no obvious reason in the middle of the night. I wondered if something near her cage had moved & startled her awake...like maybe a jacket slipped off the back of a chair, or a mouse was trying get at her food or something. I never saw any evidence of either, and never had mice around, but I did wonder. She would only calm down when I'd get up and talk to her& switch the lights on for a few minutes so she could see there was nothing there.

 

[Rana]

mine would occasionally start "babbeling" when they are asleep, nothing loud, it's like they are having a little conversation with themselves - could be dreaming?
i've never experienced any loud screams or squeeks during the night though...

 

[BarkleyLoves]

Like Rana mine occasionally make a little babbling during the night or sometimes a little "moan" is how I can best describe it. They just sound content. I cover them with blankets at night so they can sleep undisturbed.

 

[DebsFlock]

I don't know if there is solid evidence for parrots dreaming, but it wouldn't surprise me too much. Certainly mammals other than humans dream. Birds do seem to alter physiology more drastically than mammals and to be more hard-programmed to respond to light level.