Babies are born with heads bigger than their bodies, however, baby owls’ heads are so heavy that they have to sleep face down.
The photo that surfaced online was as a bit of a meme because it has a bit of a ‘go home owl, you’re drunk’ vibe.
While the credibility of the source was first questioned, it turns out to be actually true with more images of baby owls lying down to sleep having surfaced, making it more awesome than it already is.
According to IFL Science, adult owls basically sleeps while standing up because they are fully developed but younger owls struggle to hold the weight off their heads so have they have a lie-down.
A Twitter user shared some images to confirm the theory.
It was confirmed by another Twitter user who posted:
“I’ve been trying to find the original photographer for this image, but no luck. It’s obviously a captive bird. Regardless, yes, young nestling owls do sleep or rest lying down. Their heads are too heavy for their bodies. Here are some saw-whets from my Ph.D. research”
The theory was also confirmed in an article by the National Audubon Society, a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation.
‘Their naps are short, and when they are asleep, they do not like to be awakened, even to be fed,’ the article added.
On BirdNote podcast, one listener told them how he discovered two baby owls and was told to watch them take a nap. The listener was then amazed to discover that the two baby owls napped on their stomachs with their head turned to the side. While it was less of a face plant, surely it was just as cute.