This Sunday (3rd May) is International Dawn Chorus Day, an international celebration of birds and bird song.
In the UK our dawn choruses are justifiably famous for the variety, depth and layers of bird song and are a beautiful thing to spend time listening too (at least once or twice during the Spring).
Whilst for us bird song is simply a treat for the ears for the birds themselves it’s a serious business and the males expend a lot of energy producing their song for extended periods as a way of establishing and holding a territory against others of the same species. This will be done throughout the Spring even when they have chicks to feed!
Where you live in the UK and what type of habitat you live close to will affect the bird song you hear – those living near the hills and moors of in the north and the west may be treated to the bubbling song of the Curlew or the iconic call of the Cuckoo, whilst those living near the coast may be lucky enough to hear the hustle and bustle of a sea bird colony.
For most of us though it will be the back garden, the local park, a patch of woodland or the farmland that borders our homes where we hear our dawn choruses and, whilst the cast of the choir might not be as exotic as elsewhere, the sound they produce is just as breathtaking – we just need to make time to stop, listen and appreciate it.
The end of April and the first half of May really is the best time for birdsong with our resident birds (still singing their hearts out) joined by a host of warblers and other species fresh in after spending the winter in Africa, so why not give it a go this Sunday?
Set the alarm for 4.30am (I know, but it will be worth it and the hours before and after first light are the best for the chorus), take a flask, wrap up warm and get outside – it’s as easy as that!
Oh and let us know on Twitter (@ToursNatural) or Facebook what you heard and what your favourite avian songster is.