Why birds chirping in the morning

Singing is an essential part of bird life, but it's costly in terms of time and energy. Singing loud and proud first thing in the morning tells everyone within hearing distance that you were strong and healthy enough to survive the night. This is attractive to potential mates, and lets your competitors know you're still around and in charge of your territory.

For many years, scientists theorized that the atmospheric conditions in the early morning — typically cooler and drier than later in the day — might allow birdsong to travel further through the air. However, recent research shows this isn't the case. Birdsong travels just as far, if not farther, at noon as at dawn.

Although dawn songs don't carry farther, they are clearer and more consistent, and this could be even more important. Both the males and the females have striking white markings on the wings and on the sides of the tail. These birds join in the morning chorus, with the males contributing a strong voice. Bird spotters can easily see males singing their strong songs perched out in the open.

This is done to attract a mate. A mature chaffinch has a bodyweight of twenty-one grams. The common pheasant belongs to the Phasianidae pheasant family. The common pheasant is connected to the jungle fowl, as well as domesticated chickens, in a lineage that dates back years.

Mature male pheasants reach a 1 kg in body mass, while the females typically reach around nine hundred grams. These birds belong to the Parulidae family and are not connected to the Australian warbler or the Old World Warbler. While most warblers are arboreal, some are mainly terrestrial birds. Terrestrial warblers include the two waterthrushes and the ovenbird. Fully grown, the insectivorous warbler reaches a small mass of no more than twelve grams.

The blackcap is a widespread bird that can be commonly found during the morning chorus. The upper parts of the blackcap have an olive and grey hue, with the underparts a softer grey hue. There are five subspecies, but the differences among them are minor. Both males and females have a colored cap on the head; the males don a black cap while the females don a reddish-brown cap. The warbling often finishes with a high pitched, dramatic crescendo.

However, some bird watchers that find this bird in a more tranquil and isolated environment can witness the blackcap simpler song. The mature blackcap can reach a bodyweight of approximately seventeen grams. The chiffchaff, also known as the common chiffchaff, is a widespread species that can be seen in open woodlands.

The chiffchaff is a leaf warbler and tends to spend winters in a range of areas from north Africa to the south and western Europe and right up to southern Asia. The mature chiffchaff can reach a bodyweight of approximately eight grams. The song thrush has one of the most distinctive songs in the morning chorus. They have a distinct sound that includes several repeated musical phrases. The way to impress the females and to scare away your competition, in the bird world, is to be big, strong and vigorous.

It is thought that the better you can sing during the most challenging time of the day, the better mate and more challenging competitor you will be. Not only are birds actively singing near sunrise, but they often do so from exposed, visible perches, offering exceptional views and photography opportunities in the morning light.

Because the chorus is most prevalent in spring, many of the singers are also in their bright breeding plumage , making identification even easier. Birders who want to experience this early morning phenomenon should take proper steps to stay safe and follow appropriate bird recording ethics to avoid stressing or distracting the birds. Getting up to enjoy the dawn chorus can be an experience many birders eagerly anticipate. Even the most dedicated birders, however, rarely enjoy the cacophony of sound beginning in the wee hours for weeks, particularly when backyard birds join in right outside bedroom windows.

To minimize the disruptive effects of the chorus:. The dawn chorus is an amazing auditory phenomenon that many birders enjoy. Understanding why birds sing so close to sunrise can help every birder better appreciate this time of day for enjoying the birdsong. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data.