International dawn chorus day

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 a study of the Ecuadorian forest, it was determined that birds perching higher in the trees and birds with larger eyes tend to pipe up first. These correlations may be caused by the fact that both would also correlate with the amount of light perceived by the bird.

An annual International Dawn Chorus Day is held on the first Sunday in May when the public are encouraged to rise early to listen to bird song at organised events. The first ever was held at Moseley Bog in Birmingham, England, in 1984, organized by the Urban Wildlife Trust (now The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country).