Study Reveals What Birds’ Dreams (and Nightmares) Sound Like

There’s nothing sweeter than waking to the sounds of songbirds. But our feathery friends also sing in their sleep, though those tunes can’t be heard. In a study published earlier this month, researchers successfully decoded the silent songs of snoozing birds, shedding light on the mysterious realm of avian dreams — and nightmares.
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Using electrodes, the scientists recorded the nighttime symphonies of great kiskadees through the birds’ muscle activity, which they then translated into sound. One eerie tune echoed the calls of territorial disputes. “You could figure out this guy was experiencing a nightmare probably, re-creating the whole experience of having a fight in his sleep,” study co-author Gabriel Mindlin told NPR’s Science Friday podcast.
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While the specifics remain a mystery, the research suggests that bird dreams could very well be similar to human ones. Mindlin said listening to the nightmare in particular inspired empathy for the bird, who was “all alone at night in a tree with his fears.” He added: “I felt there were more similarities between them and us than we usually acknowledge.”
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Listen to Mindlin’s full interview with the outlet here (and hear the difference between the kiskadees’ waking and sleeping songs).