10 birds that come alive at dawn

It's International Dawn Chorus Day! Find out about some of the most common sounds of the early morning dawn chorus and learn to identify them in this blog.

There are few things as special as the overture of bird song that erupts before the rest of the world wakes up. It requires a determined mind to wake up before the rise of the sun but if you can do it, you will be rewarded for your efforts.

The dawn chorus is most notable in spring: a time when birds are defending their breeding territories and attracting new mates. It still feels like night to us, but as birds are perched up in their trees, they can see the sun coming across the horizon before anyone else and this light triggers them to start singing. Starting slowly but out of nowhere, you’ll hear the first birds warming up before reaching a crescendo as the light gets brighter across the morning. It’s a beautiful spectacle for the ears.

If the thought of getting up at the crack of dawn to hear this spectacle alarms you, let us persuade you to give it a try by talking you through the most rambunctious voices in the Kent skies. No doubt after reading this, you’ll be setting your alarm for 4am tomorrow, rushing outside with a cup of tea and soaking in the sounds.

Robin

Erithacus rubecula

Robins, perhaps the most well-known bird in the UK and kindred spirits of our gardens, have developed a close relationship with us. Our gardening brings worms to the surface of the soil and the robins are savvy, watching us and taking advantage of the food we provide.

No bird wakes up as early as a robin and if you’re listening out to the dawn chorus, you will find the first song to be heard is that of this red-chested songster. They are extremely territorial birds and sing all year round, so if you learn to recognise it, their song will be with you every morning.

There isn’t a specific note or melody to look out for; their song has more of a distinctive style and structure. They have a very high-pitched melodic whistle which is often broken up by short pauses. Not to be confused with another sing and pause bird, the blackbird, which has a deeper tone we’ll describe below.

Blackbird

Turdus merula

Blackbirds are another familiar garden visitor, often found looking for worms under leaf piles. The male is a distinctive black with an orange beak and a yellow/orange eye ring. Females are browner with a speckling on their neck and their beaks are more of a dull colour.

It has a deep melancholy whistle and, like a robin, it sings and pauses. It is also said to have a scratchy ending. Have a listen and see if you can hear it. Blackbirds are also well-known in the bird kingdom for being able to mimic sounds. It is thought they do this to sound more interesting to mates. Amy Ross, our Digital Ecology Consultant once heard one ‘nay’ like a horse!

Wren

Troglodytes troglodytes

Believe it or not, the wren is actually the UK’s most common bird. Both small and brown, the wren lives its life close to the ground where it is well camouflaged. They have short little tails that are often bent up at an angle. If you learn to recognise their song, you will quickly realise these birds are everywhere!

The most noticeable thing about the song of a wren is just how loud it is in volume. For such a small bird, the wren packs a punch and knows how to get attention. Their song is extremely fast paced and includes a nice rattle at the end that sounds like it has a tiny machine gun.

Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

One of the best signs of spring is hearing the first chiffchaffs. The song is very easy to recognise as it sounds like it’s singing its name. It’s normally two even and equal notes which can sound a lot like a metronome.

Song Thrush

Turdus philomelos

The song thrush is a little smaller than a blackbird, mostly brown with a white breast covered in dark upwards pointed spots. You’ll often find them foraging on the ground and you’ll know if a song thrush has been around if you see a collection of empty snail shells.

They start singing early in the year and can be seen easily on the branches of bare trees in January & February. Their song is very loud and varies in different phrases. You can tell a song belongs to a song thrush because they will repeat their phrases around 2-3 times before moving onto the next. Some have favourite phrases that they use again and again.

Dunnock

Prunella modularis

Dunnocks are relatively plain as birds go, with a grey head and belly, and dull brown back. People often confuse dunnocks with female house sparrows which gives them their nickname (hedge sparrows), even though they’re not closely related! Their song is a trickier one to learn. It’s slightly more mechanical, less melodic, and more sped up than the robin’s, making many people refer to a dunnock’s song much like they refer to its plumage – boring!

While it may not be the most exciting sound in the sky, it’s a common bird that is worth learning to identify. See if you can learn it here.

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

Considered the ultimate avian opportunist for its ability to exploit our gardens and expand its population to most of the world, male house sparrows can be identified from their grey cap, white cheeks, and a black bib. They’re much brighter in colour than the females which look similar but have buff-grey undersides and stripy buff brown and black backs, and a cream eye stripe.

The house sparrow is a highly gregarious bird with multiple different sounds, but they can be easily recognised by their chirp. You’ll know if you have a good population of house sparrows nearby because you’ll hear the social chirping easily cut through some of the other birds at the dawn chorus.

Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Blackcaps are a type of warbler with a distinctive cap - black on the males and chestnut on the females. They have a delightful song that has earned it the nickname ‘northern nightingale’.

The song is rich and fluty, phrases are clear and measured with a lot of variety. It almost sounds like many notes are being played at once. What do you think? Could you make it out in the dawn chorus?

Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Blue tits are an easy to recognise garden bird, often found on our bird features, with its distinctive blue cap and yellow belly with a black bandit line on its eyes. The song can be remembered easily if you keep an ear out for a ‘Tea Tea Tea’ ‘Lilly lilly lilly’. There are 1-3 short sharper notes followed by more of a faster ending with ‘Lilly lilly lilly’. See if you can hear it!

Great Tit

Parus major

The great tit is the largest tit species in the UK. Unlike the blue tit with a black bandit mask on its eyes, the great tit has a black cap and black stripe down the middle of its yellow belly. It has a very distinctive and very easy song to learn, often the first song many children will learn.

The great tit’s song sounds like it is saying ‘teacher, teacher, teacher’. There are two notes, much like a chiffchaff, but instead there is a much greater emphasis placed on the first note. Have a listen below.

The Early Bird Catches the Worm

There are so many birds that haven’t been covered here including starlings, woodpeckers, greenfinches and more. The beauty of the dawn chorus is that it can be heard almost anywhere so you don’t have to travel far to enjoy it. We hope you get the chance to experience the beauty that the dawn chorus has to offer.

We’d love to see your footage and hear your stories from the dawn chorus so make sure to tag us in your social posts @KentWildlife and use the hashtag #WilderKent.

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