23/05/2026
You woke before your alarm. Outside, something was happening. Loud. Layered. Not one voice — dozens.
That was the dawn chorus.
Male birds defend their territory with the most intense song in the thirty minutes before first light and the first hour after sunrise. The air is cool and still — sound carries further at dawn than at any other time of day. Each species enters at a slightly different moment, determined by how well it can see in low light. The robin sees earliest and begins first. The wren and blackcap wait for enough light before joining, and carry the chorus to full volume.
May is peak dawn chorus month in Britain — the window when every pair is established, eggs are being incubated, and every male is singing at maximum effort. By mid-June, as nesting moves into the feeding phase, the chorus begins to thin. The full window lasts four to six weeks.
Set your alarm ten minutes earlier tomorrow. Open a window. Stay still in the dark. 🐦
