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OUR PEOPLE, OUR COMMUNITIES, OUR STORIES
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5
Q&A Cheryl Anderson
“He changed Canada for the better”
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Around the world at the library
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Male Mourning Warbler (Photo courtesy of Andrew Darcy).
Andrew Darcy captures a photo of one of the dawn birds
Early birds rise and sing The dawn chorus fills the sky with birdsong
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or those willing to start their day early (perhaps very, very early), there is an exceptional choral performance to be heard each spring and summer and continuing into early autumn. The dawn chorus does not involve a human choir, however. Dawn is when birds begin to sing; at its peak, the sunrise bird chorus can involve many species singing together in one of nature’s most remarkable massed choirs. The males do most of the singing, mostly to impress females. Notes Andrew Darcy, a federal fisheries technician who describes himself as “a local naturalist with an affinity for birds” and who is also a board member of Nature Moncton, “here, in this kind of climate, it is the male birds that will do most of the singing first thing in the morning. It has to do with warning other males off their territory and also with mating. “First thing in the morning only the strongest males will have enough energy to sing at that hour, especially after a cold night and not having eaten all night. So, it shows how fit they are.” “And, at first light it is still too dark for birds to go out and forage. It is
also a time when predators will not be out and active. So, really, it is the best spare time they have in the day to sing.” In southeastern New Brunswick the dawn chorus really kicks in in spring – typically in early May. While some of our most well-known songbirds, such as chickadees, winter in this region many songbirds are migratory and do not overwinter in Atlantic Canada. Those migrants return in a steady stream over the course of the spring and spend the summer and early autumn in the region’s forests, fields, wetlands, and coastal environments. Notes Darcy, in tropical environments the dawn chorus can be in full song throughout the year and will last longer through the day. Some birds are particularly early, even for early birds. Darcy says that Blackbirds and Thrushes, including Robins, may start well before sunup. “The best time for the dawn chorus, though, when typically all birds join in, is the half hour before and the half hour after sunrise. Certain birds will still tend to sing first, though. Sometimes even in the middle of the night I will hear White-throated Sparrows and Robins calling.”
Birds will also continue calling through the day, “to keep saying, ‘this is my territory, keep away.’ “It takes a lot of energy to make that song, so only the strongest, fittest males will be able to make that song.” There is evidence as well that sound carries best in the early morning air, as much as twenty times farther when the air is calm and there is less competition from other sources of noise. As migrating birds arrive in waves through the spring, new competitors arrive overnight, making it important for males to
First thing in the morning only the strongest males will have enough energy to sing at that hour, especially after a cold night and not having eaten all night. So, it shows how fit they are. re-establish their “top bird” status each new morning. Songbirds are not the only contributors to the morning choral symphony. Marsh birds such as mallards, teals, geese, soras, and snipes join in,
while in forested areas woodcocks, hawks, and owls can be heard. Crows and ravens never hesitate to add their voices, although not everyone finds their songs melodious. Darcy notes that rare
birds also make an occasional appearance – including the Glossy Ibis, native to Florida, which has been spotted in marshes in Dieppe and has been spotted in the past near the Chateau Moncton. “Birds follow natural pathways, including waterways and coasts, when they migrate. For birds coming up the Bay of Fundy this area is kind of a funnel. We get other rare birds here as well, sometimes juveniles who have come too far in their migration and eventually turn back. Continued on page 3