International Dawn Chorus Day: Top 10 facts about birdsong
YESTERDAY was International Dawn Chorus Day, traditionally held on the first Sunday in May. But just in case you were not up at dawn, here are some facts.
1. When you hear a bird singing, it is most likely a male. They sing to attract mates or mark territory.
2. Female birds in the tropics, Australia and South Africa sing more than elsewhere in the world.
3. Some birds have only a single song in their repertoire but others have up to 2,000.
4. Some birds such as starlings and canaries continue learning new songs all their lives. Others stop learning new songs when they are still young.
5. Songs of true songbirds vary from the two-note song of the chiffchaff to the 103-note phrase (sung in as little as 8.25 seconds) of the wren.
6. When female cuckoos are looking for somewhere to lay their eggs they emit a call that has been described as “like water gurgling down a plughole”.
7. In many bird species, especially in the tropics, male and female birds sing together in duets.
8. Birds are not born with the ability to sing songs but they learn them in the nest.
Hundreds of birds flood skyline making eerie noise
9. Research has shown that British songbirds have differing dialects, changing in pitch, tone and tune according to the regions they live in.
10. Regional accents are thought to lessen the chance of birds mating with those from elsewhere.