The Max Planck Institute in Seewiesen is setting up a research group “Bird Sleep”.
A large cage is planned for the Eßsee.
Seewiesen
- Some birds sleep in flight.
This has been scientifically researched and proven.
But how does it work with the waterfowl?
Do they also sleep floating on the surface of the water?
This is the question the members of the “Bird Sleep” research group at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Ornithology in Seewiesen near Pöcking want to answer.
The researchers don't want to get the answer to this question in the laboratory, but rather under the most natural conditions possible.
Now it is difficult for them to lie in wait on the bank of a body of water to watch the animals in their sleep.
At night it is too dark for the human eye for that, and secondly, it is to be feared that the observer will be overwhelmed by tiredness and twilight away themselves.
A swimming aviary will help ornithologists out of trouble, explains Dr.
Sabine Spehn, responsible for public relations at the MPI.
And it should work like this: A 75 meter long, four meter wide and two and a half meter large cage is positioned and anchored on the banks of the Eßsee on the institute premises.
Because only a small part of the aviary is on land, the much larger part is in the water.
A feeding station at the end of the cage is intended to attract the waterfowl to make their way through the wire frame to the delicacies.
"You have to learn that first before you can tackle the actual purpose of the exercise," explains the PR officer.
When the birds have learned their basic information, things get down to business.
From the beginning to the end of the aviary, cameras are installed to document the behavior of the animals - around the clock.
It has not yet been determined 100 percent which waterfowl come into question, says Spehn.
However, there is a lot to be said for the Canada geese.
Why?
“These animals have a dark head, but also dark eyeballs,” Spehn replies, “but when they close their eyes, a white lid appears, and this shows in the camera image that the goose is sleeping.” Last but not least, the genus has goose Seewiesen made famous worldwide - thanks to behavioral researcher Konrad Lorenz, who lived there among geese as part of his research.
However, he preferred gray geese.
The MPI approached the Pöcking community with its four-year research project.
Since the aviary is presumably a building that will also be located outside, the building and environment committee had to deal with the building application on Monday evening.
The committee members did not hesitate for long, expressed their amusement about the "Sleepswimming in Seewiesen" and gave the green light.
Stephan Müller-Wendlandt