Why do birds sing at daybreak?

Why daybreak but not twilight or in unison at some point in the day? And why does that know-it-all tweeter, the Mockingbird, sing at night?

Ok - I found a thread on this board that addresses the questions – I needed to use the word ‘dawn’ rather than ‘daybreak’ - ‘morning’

Sorry :slight_smile:

Some birds sing to mark out their territory - eg the kookaburra, which sings at dawn and dusk.

If a mockingbird is like a koel, (a migratory, night singing bird) then it might be trying to attract a mate.

Yes, the male mockingbird sings to attract a mate. The female is generally impressed with the male who knows the most sounds. An unmated mockingbird will sing the night away. We have been “treated” to the same male for 2 years now.

So birds sing to attract a mate at night? Is that a avian one-night stand (or would “one-night nesting” be more accurate)? Sounds a lot like the singles bars around here! :slight_smile:

Well, if you’re yearning for silence, I’d suggest you go to the pet store and buy a female mockingbird to release in the backyard for him. (This in spite of the disapproval likely from this other thread “I What’s wrong with being a whore?”.

I think that singing at the first sight of dawn is just the right and natural way of life. :slight_smile: