Where do sleeping geese lie?

October 14, 2009 1:34 AM

Where do sleeping geese end up?

I often see geese sleeping on the river. What happens to them? Do they end up downstream and wake up confused?

posted by devnull to pets & animals (4 comments total)

They are capable of Unihemispheric slow-wave sleep. They are literally half alseep.
posted by Ness at 5:35 AM on October 14 [3 favorites]

So does half asleep mean that they paddle to keep themselves in one place?
posted by devnull at 9:08 AM on October 14

They're probably aware enough to notice when their surroundings have changed, and then either move back to where they were, or stay where they are. I'd guess, though, that they choose a position where there's little current to move them about.
posted by Solomon at 9:51 AM on October 14

I have seen swans on a very clear canal and you can see their feet paddling even though they seem to be asleep (head resting on back, eyes not all the way closed). The swans don't get near enough the edges of this canal to allow a grab at them, and they don't drift far enough to go bouncing down some of the six-inch waterfalls placed here and there.
posted by jet_silver at 10:25 AM on October 14