Why so early? Is it true that the lark is the earliest bird, while the owl wakes up at night? We asked our regular expert, Candidate of Biological Sciences and author of the YouTube channel «Every Creature in Pairs», Pavel Glazkov, about this.
«Birds are tied to photoperiodism – to the length of daylight, which is why they start singing half an hour before dawn»
The earliest bird is not the lark at all
And birds don't get enough sleep either
Pavel Glazkov said that birds go to sleep around 9–10 p.m. and sleep on average 6–7 hours.
«Of course it all depends on the time of year; if they are feeding chicks, they often can't get enough sleep – the chicks constantly want to eat. During the feeding period they sleep no more than four hours and get very tired»
The owl hunts not only at night
Far from all owls lead a nocturnal lifestyle – for example, the hawk owl hunts during the day.
«It's a mistake to think that owls hunt at night because they see well precisely in the dark. Nothing of the sort. At night it is more convenient for them to hunt because they hear better – they simply have enormous ears»
So, if you wake up at dawn, then you are unequivocally a black grouse, and the myth that the owl is always awake at night is just a myth.
