Impact

EXPERIENCE THE MAGNIFICENCE OF DAWN CHORUS NOW

You know tomorrow is about to start, even while the night is still in deep black, if you can listen to what is happening outside. You can hear, what scientists call, the dawn chorus -- birds singing their way to a new day. And it is the most beautiful way to begin.

The birdsongs you hear come mainly from males, although in Africa, you will hear some more from the ladies, and even some lovely duets.

Of course they sing all day long, but at dawn, birdsongs are louder, livelier, and more frequent. There are several theories as to why.

While singing might seem effortless for a bird, it actually requires energy and stamina. As birds eat during the day, they store up energy and fat to help them make it through the night. At the tail end of the night, they often have excess energy to burn. And while it’s still dark, they can’t yet go out hunting and gathering. But they can sing.

One idea is that when birds sing at dawn, they are signaling their strength and vitality -- proving they’ve got energy and stamina to spare. Also, as the dawn rolls in, birds begin to sense what lies in store for them - weather conditions, competition for food, nearby potential mates or threats. Each condition affects their song.

It turns out that the more variable a day is, the longer birds sing in the morning. The dawn chorus in Tanzania, where the weather doesn’t change much from day to day, is shorter relative to that in northern Europe.

Birdsong at dawn tends to be more clear and consistent. This makes it easier to hear the unique signature song that each male bird belts out, letting the whole tweety community know: It’s me! Nice to know when it’s still too dark to see.

It turns out, birdsong is also good for us. Studies have found that people find the sound reassuring, which, of course is a good feeling to have when you are facing a new day.

Birds at Dawn features ten gorgeous dawn choruses from across eastern and central North America. They are wonderful to listen to any time of day.

In his fascinating TED Talk about how sound affects us, sound expert Julian Treasure, of The Sound Agency, tells us that over hundreds of thousands of years we've learned that when the birds are singing, all is right with the world. “It's when they stop you need to be worried,” he says.

By greeting the dawn, with birds chirping their beautiful overtures, you are inviting better health, well-being, and productivity. In fact, Treasure recommends at least five minutes per day of the magical dawn serenade -- there is no maximum dose.

Stay tuned for the upcoming release next month of the BeautifulNow DailyFix app which will feature birdsong and other gorgeous soundscapes by Julian Treasure.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Dawn in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 01.11.2015. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!

PHOTO CREDITS:

Photo: Courtesy of Ordinary Creative. Sunrise.
Photo: by Edward Peters. Cardinal in the Morning.
Photo: Courtesy of Upwoods. Sunrise.
Photo: by Ed Yourdon. Birds on the Water.
Photo: by Bob Peterson. Here Comes the Sun.
Photo: by Kristy. Woodpecker at Sunrise.
Photo: by b k. Pigeons at Sunrise.
Photo: by Halfrain. Birds at Sunrise.
Photo: by Jim Mullhaupt. Crow at Sunrise.
Photo: by Francesco Veronesi. White browed Robin chat singing at dawn Lake Naivasha, Kenya.