Birds usually make short and high sound to show danger, warning and communication, which usually starts at dawn, 3:00am – 4:00am to be precise. Scientists normally call this the “dawn chorus” and last for a number of hours. Singing of birds even happens during day but for the dawn chorus, the songs are always louder, more dynamic and even frequent.
Now the question is, why do birds chirp at 3am? The reason for these birds chirping in the middle of the night is very difficult to understand although the most popular explanation among Ornithologists is that majority of the bird species chirp at night for territorial protection and breeding reasons. This behavior is common among mocking birds. The main reason of chirping is to attract a mate, warn off predators or defend their breeding territory and communicate threats to their social groups.
When it comes to chirping in the middle of the night, Robins are one of the few bird species that defend their territory all through the winter (coldest) season of the year during months of June, July and August. They go on to sing when most of the other bird species have even stopped.
But, is it normal for birds to chirp in the middle of the night?
Majority of bird species usually chirp or sing during daytime and rest at night. Nonetheless, it is also not strange to hear them do so in the middle of the night. The term Nightingales is usually used when birds sing in the middle of the night although the bird you hear chirping after dark may be a mockingbird or owl.
Besides owls, other nocturnal singing birds, nightjars, corncrakes and nightingales are migratory bird species with short and clearly defined singing episodes during summer and spring seasons. Birds that usually wake up first include Robins, Tawny owls, Blackbirds, warblers, Eurasian wren and Song thrush among others.
