Why Do Birds Sing? Lately, I have been seeing cardinals. As cardinals do not seem to need a lot of sleep, you may hear them singing in the morning well before sunrise. Sign in to like videos, comment, and subscribe. Watch Queue Queue This is called the dawn chorus. Thanks for sharing, great lens. The Cardinals’ career began in 1946 (one year before The Orioles) when Leon Hardy and Meredith Brothers convinced Donald Johnson to join them in harmony on the corner of Gay Street and Forest. The reason they are silent after dark is so night predators cannot locate them. I know, the bright red birds are common in our area, but it seemed odd that I was seeing, what I think is the same cardinal at the same time in the same place again and again. Unlike other bird species like blackbirds or bluebirds, cardinals don’t attack or dive bomb predators. Many birds sing at dawn. Twice was a coincidence. Cardinals remain quiet at night when they roost. The third, fourth and tenth time got my attention. - Are They Just Happy? Johnson drafted his friend Ernie Warren to round out a quartet … Light and dark Apart from owls, our other nocturnal songsters, corncrakes, nightjars and nightingales are all migratory birds with a short and well defined song period during the spring and summer months. I am not usually a superstitious person. Nightingales are often thought of when a bird sings at night, but the bird you hear chirping after dark may be a mockingbird, a whip-poor-will or an owl. Instead their tactic is to distract or re-nest as quickly as possible if the nest is attacked. No. Singing usually is a male trait, but some female songbirds croon, too. I am not usually a superstitious person. I have had the "pleasure" of banding many Northern cardinals and they are notorious for having a painful bite -- no doubt about the seed-cracking strength of those bills! Syllables can sound like the bird is singing cheer, cheer, cheer or birdie, birdie, birdie. Nice lens about a beautiful bird! Bird song is normally associated with daytime birds, with only a small handful of notable exceptions. The songs typically last 2 to 3 seconds. Locations Cardinals do not migrate, and as a result they live their entire lives within one or two kilometer radius of where they were born. Some people find bird song at night irritating, but there is little they can do to prevent it. Sign in. If she is back on her nest this morning her tactic or perhaps your check on her, made it a safe night. I know, the bright red birds are common in our area, but it seemed odd that I was seeing, what I think is the same cardinal at the same time in the same place again and again. However, it's not uncommon to hear a bird chirp in the middle of the night.