We talk about “birds of prey.” But I heard these birds as “birds of praise.” Their song reminded me that God comes to us and allows us to grow. When it seems life is over, life begins again.

Songs broadcast at dawn can be 20 times as effective as those broadcast at midday. And this is a time when birds can’t do much else.

Song occurs as air from the bronchi vibrates the membranes while muscles adjust membrane tension, somewhat like a human drummer adjusting the skin on a drum. The more complex a bird’s syringeal ...

Birdsong is something birds learn as they grow into adults – as fledglings they develop a sub-song that matures into their adult primary song as they reach breeding maturity.

Birds sing a range of songs at dawn, starting 30 minutes before sunrise. The singing follows a specific sequence as blackbirds, song thrushes and robins lead the singing throughout the morning.

A bird’s morning song can be a warning to other birds that might want to sneak onto their territory. It can also be an invitation to female birds looking for a good place to nest.

However, you can still wake up when it is already light and catch some of the birdsong as the chorus lasts for 30 minutes either side of the sunrise with the songs carrying into the morning.

It is amazing to see how technology has helped change and advance research into bird songs, especially thanks to citizen science projects like eBird and its affiliation with the Macaulay Library.

If you've noticed that you're hearing birdsong longer into your day than you used to, your observation fits with those made ...

A number of explanations have been put forward to explain the ‘dawn chorus’, when birds are at their most vocal – their songs louder, livelier and more frequent than at other times of day. The dawn ...