Birds at Rest: The Behavior and Ecology of Avian Sleep

In this detailed book, underpinned by plentiful references to research, ornithologist Pasquier (American Museum of Natural History; Birds in Winter) reveals the fascinating physiology of avian sleep and the parameters that determine, limit, enhance, or interfere with it. These, it turns out, include just about everything: whether a species tends to sleep solo, roost in flocks of thousands, or migrate; how far away the nearest food is; what predators (including humans, as the final chapter makes clear) might come upon the bird in this most vulnerable of moments. Studying birds at rest presents some unique challenges, as Pasquier explains. For example, he offers the account of a researcher trying to count solitary birds roosting in trees in the dark of nigh. But this research is important and worthwhile for a fuller understanding of birds’ lives, their ecological roles, and their particular vulnerabilities as species counts worldwide are declining.