Great post Lev, I love swifts. This year though... I have seen less swifts where I live than during any previous May/June (since I became more aware of their marvellous existence, anyway)
Did you know that hummingbirds essentially hibernate every night by going into a state of torpor? That saves them up to 90% of the energy they'd otherwise use sleeping, and basically stops them dying.
Thanks for the hummingbird link, added to my other liked fact about swifts, that they sleep in the air because half their brain sleeps while the other keeps them aloft, then the sides swap, in unihemispheric slow-wave sleep. And the press-ups of course 😁
I've just told my mum about the swift chicks' wing pressups, and she's as thrilled as I am (very).
Great post Lev, I love swifts. This year though... I have seen less swifts where I live than during any previous May/June (since I became more aware of their marvellous existence, anyway)
Nice Monty Python homage.
Thanks for sharing this. I’ve been working on a project where I live in Bristol to get swift boxes installed. So far we have got 10 boxes up.
No-one expects the hummingbird connection.
Well my tiny mind is now blown by swifts not being related to swallows and martins. Thank you once again for educating me, Lev.
Did you know that hummingbirds essentially hibernate every night by going into a state of torpor? That saves them up to 90% of the energy they'd otherwise use sleeping, and basically stops them dying.
Found that out during a webinar I organised about the science of hypersleep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILLA2y1HKaU
Thanks for the hummingbird link, added to my other liked fact about swifts, that they sleep in the air because half their brain sleeps while the other keeps them aloft, then the sides swap, in unihemispheric slow-wave sleep. And the press-ups of course 😁