Effect of Time of Day on Birds
4/3/16
By David Brown
The early bird gets the worm and the early birder gets the birds. While it is true that few birding experiences can compare to the thrill of being in the field before sunrise on a spring morning as the world awakens around you and the dawn chorus fills the air, other times of day also provide unique experiences.
By late morning and early afternoon many species have stopped singing. However, just because you slept in doesn't mean you can't go birding. Plenty of birds remain active. On sunny days raptors and vultures soar on thermals. Swallows and swifts fly around catching insects. On cold winter days birds often become more active as the day warms up rather than early in the morning. A hot summer afternoon is the perfect excuse to sit in the shade of a tree and observe the birds in one area.
Dusk is a special time of day throughout the year. Species that are active in the twilight hours are known as crepuscular. In winter, short-eared owls emerge from tall grasses and begin to hunt. In early spring male American woodcocks rise from the brush in wide spirals then clumsily fall back to the same spot. Flocks of thousands of migrating gulls circle over the river then land for the night. In late spring and early fall, common nighthawks migrate over, often visiting the lights of sporting events to feast on insects. Hundreds of chimney swifts swarm above the opening of the chimney that they will spend the night in.
At night, the hoots of barred and great horned owls can be heard from a distance. The toots and whinnies of saw-whet and screech owls reveal the presence of these smaller birds. In the summer whip-poor-wills sing their name incessantly from the woods. Listen on a calm night during spring or fall and you can hear the nocturnal flight calls of migrants as they travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to their breeding or wintering grounds. Warblers pass over in the dead of night with a confusing variety of high-pitched and buzzy call notes. In the hour before sunrise thrushes call as they descend into wooded areas. Particularly easy to identify are the Swainson's thrushes which give a call similar to that of the spring peeper. They are difficult to find during the day, but in the darkness of the early morning you can hear dozens of them flying over.
Anyone with a bird feeder has noticed the cycle of the day. Many birds feed in the morning then disappear by mid-day, occasionally returning in smaller numbers. In the evening there is another peak of activity as birds fuel up for the night.
This spring, observe your feeders to see what times of day birds are active. Listen to find out what species continue to sing throughout the day. If you find yourself awake in the middle of the night, go outside and listen to see if you can hear the songs of nocturnal birds and the flight calls of migrants. When the moon is low to the horizon watch it with binoculars to see if you can see birds passing in front of it. As we enjoy the cycle of the seasons let us also enjoy the cycle of each day.
