From late April till early June, song birds have to find enough food to feed their newly hartched nestlings. There is great competition for territory in which to forage for food.
blackbird robin
song thrush
crow rook
So if you are a bird you have to sing loud and strong to scare your rivals off. Otherwise they will get all the goodies. You do this while waiting for it to be light enough to see where the worms, insects and seeds are to be had. On the other hand, once the sun is up you need to stop singing and start searching. To get the worms, etc, you have to be an early bird.
wren chiffchaff
blackcap
All this birdsong just before sunrise on spring mornings creates a symphony of sound called the dawn chorus. All over the northern hemisphere there are organised dawn chorus walks, which you can locate on the internet at www.idcd.info.
chaffinch goldfinch
If you want a really local one, come along to Filnore Woods on Sunday 28th April, a week before the official Dawn Chorus Day date. Just one thing - we start at 5.00 am. Meet on the far side of Thornbury Leisure Centre car park. Bring your own coffee and buns, if you wish, and wrap up warm. You will hear a wondrous natural concert and experience overwhelming feelings of virtue at being up so early. Further info 01454 416945.
collared dove wood pigeon
Practice listening on the birdsong link (right)
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