The "Dawn Chorus" - There is brief period of time before sunrise when birds seem to sing clearly at once - listen to the peak period of bird songs recorded in the Great Smoky Mountains - you'll hear a lot of different birds, but one of the show-offs are the Eastern Towhees.....
More info on this fascinating phenomena:
You may have noticed a cacophony of birdsong in the wee hours of the morning. Scientists call this the dawn chorus. It can start as early as 4:00 a.m. and last several hours. Birds can sing at any time of day, but during the dawn chorus their songs are often louder, livelier, and more frequent. It’s mostly made up of male birds, attempting to attract mates and warn other males away from their territories.
But why choose the hours around sunrise to sing? There are a number of theories, and they’re not necessarily mutually exclusive.
One idea is that in the early morning, light levels are too dim for birds to do much foraging. Since light levels don’t affect social interactions as much, it’s a great opportunity to sing, instead.
Another idea is that early morning singing signals to other birds about the strength and vitality of the singer. 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. Individual males have their own signature songs, with slight variations that identify them to their neighbors. If you’re a male trying to attract a mate or defend your territory, it’s more important to let your fellow birds know that it’s you singing than it is to be heard over a long distance. Singing in the morning leads to a more consistent signal and makes it more likely that other birds will be able to identify the singer correctly.
from: www.wired.com/2...
The dawn chorus occurs when birds sing at the start of a new day. In temperate countries this is most noticeable in spring when the birds are either defending a breeding territory, trying to attract a mate, or calling in the flock. In a given location, it is common for different species to do their dawn singing at different times.
In some territories where bird life is extensive and birds are vocal, the sound of a dawn chorus can render early morning sleeping difficult.
The dawn chorus is one of the most conspicuous vocal behaviors of birds, and one of the least understood. Near sunrise, birds often sing more loudly and vigorously than they do at other times of the day. Recent studies have suggested that these intense bouts of song may help male birds exchange information about their social standing. However, because so many birds sing at once, sorting out these vocal interactions has been difficult using traditional techniques such as observation and simple audio recordings.
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1 окт 2024
