5 Voices You Might Hear in the Dawn Chorus

It's Dawn Chorus Day! On the first Sunday of May, people gather outside in the early hours of the morning to listen to the symphony of birdsong as the sun rises. This time reminds us to appreciate the natural world around us and shows us the wealth of wildlife we have at our doorsteps, even in busy cities. We thought we'd share some of our favourite voices you might hear in the Dawn Chorus.

First of all, what is the Dawn Chorus?

The Dawn Chorus is the symphony of birdsong you hear in the early morning during spring and early summer. During this time, most species are thinking about breeding and protecting their territory, so males of each species wake up just before dawn to call for a mate. Singing that loud so early in the morning after a night of no food and chilly temperatures means only the strongest birds produce the loudest songs, which is a great advertisement for female birds that they will produce healthy chicks. Research also found that birds with bigger eyes and those higher up on trees tended to start first, most likely due to being able to see the light more clearly.

Voices you might hear in the Dawn Chorus…

Robins

Robins are the most consistent bird in the dawn chorus, being heard all year round. They’re also one of the first to start each day, starting off when the air is still and the light levels are low. These birds are highly territorial, so loud frequent birdsong marks their territory and keeps away unwanted male robins.

Blackbirds

Similar to robins, blackbirds are some of the early risers for the dawn chorus. They have a varied range of calls and are also very good at mimicking other sounds, like other birds, animals, and even car alarms! They're best know, though, for their flute-like call which they use to call for a mate.

Wood Pigeons

You may have heard the call of the wood pigeon on early summer mornings and never realised it! They're known for their distinctive, 5 note call ("coo-coo-COO-coo, coo-coo"). Similar to other birds, they are heard early on tin the chorus and their more calm call provides a relaxing contrast to other, more frantic birdsong.

Wrens

Wrens are one of the louder voices in the dawn chorus. They call a full octave above the highest note on a piano, allowing them to be heard above all the other calls. This loud birdsong is due to a special organ in their throat, along with special membranes, which resonates the song's notes and allows more than one at the same time.

Cuckoo

Cuckoos are known as the harbinger's of spring. They are migratory birds so as soon as you can begin to hear them in the dawn chorus, usually late-April - early May, you know spring has arrived. They are beloved part of the chorus and, in Sweden, this time of day is known as gökotta (yuh-KOT-tuh) which is Swedish for "cuckoo dawn".

So, there you go! Get out in the garden, or even cosy up in bed with the window open and listen to the coolest symphony one arth!