The Dawn Chorus is one of the most magical experiences in nature: a multitude of birds of many different species all singing together in harmony as morning breaks and light begins to fill the skies. As our natural world's most impressive and renowned concert, it is almost as though it has been tailor-made for radio. But what is it all about?
With a couple of rare exceptions, birdsong is an activity that is strictly limited to the spring and early summer. It may sound like beautiful music to our ears, but to the birds it is something quite different. At its most simple, it is a way for rival males (for it is just the male of the species that sings in the vast majority of cases) to fight and resolve conflicts without directly coming to blows, and also a means by which they can impress and attract a mate. Essentially, the louder and stronger your song, and the more time you spend singing it, the better the territory that you can claim and the higher the chance of a female choosing to mate with you.
There is a lot more going on during the dawn chorus than might initially meet the ear. For example, not many people realise that the order in which the birds start to sing each day is far from random: those birds with larger eyes start to sing earlier than those with smaller eyes. Larger eyes bring better light-gathering ability, meaning that a bird with large eyes can see sufficiently well in the low early dawn light to allow it to spot any predators that might be attracted by its song. Those birds with smaller eyes need to wait until the sky is brighter before they can safely sing.
What's more, many birds that live in urban areas, with increased traffic noise, have begun to evolve higher-pitched songs than those that live in more natural environments so that potential rivals and mates can hear them more clearly.
Light pollution in many cities has lead to a longer daily singing period for some birds, apparently increasing their breeding success but reducing their lifespans. Females of certain species are more attracted to males that sing longer, more complex songs, a subtle signal that the singer is older and more experienced, thereby proving that his territory provides ample food and shelter and also that longevity is in his genes, both highly desirable qualities in a potential father.
Why is early May the best time to focus on birdsong?
In general terms, the further north you go in Europe, the earlier the birdsong season begins. In northern Russia and Scandinavia, for example, the dawn chorus can be heard from mid-March to late May, while in the middle latitudes of the continent it runs from late April to mid June. The breeding season for many species is a little more extended in the Mediterranean region, due to the generally warmer spring and summer weather, and there the birdsong tends to peak in late April and early May.
This means that the first week or so of May is the very best time for people all over Europe simultaneously to experience the dawn chorus: the average level of birdsong is simply higher and more prominent at that time of year than at any other.
Dawn Chrous 2023- Updates
The Dawn Chorus Control Centre
Barn Owls
Corncrake
More information on the Corncrake LIFE project can be found at http://corncrakelife.ie
The Dawn Chorus 2023
Sunday 7th May from midnight to 07:00 on RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ lyic fm
Love nature, love the Dawn Chorus!
Listen to the birds sing: in the early hours of Sunday 7th May, Ireland's airwaves will come alive with birdsong
RTÉ Radio's live Dawn Chorus is one of the most ambitious and innovative radio projects to have hit the Irish airwaves.For almost three decades now, Derek Mooney and his team of experts have been bringing the uplifting and fascinating strains of early-morning birdsong to listeners.
Winner of both the National PPI Radio Award for Innovation and the coveted International Rose d’Or award, the programme has become one of the key broadcast highlights of the year, not just in Ireland but right across Europe and beyond. Featuring live birdsong and expert commentary, it offers an unmatched live celebration of our natural heritage.
"Interest in the natural world has never been higher. People have a greater appreciation of our flora and fauna, and for the songs of our wild birds" says Derek Mooney.
The dawn chorus is one of the most magical experiences in nature: a multitude of birds of many different species all singing together in harmony as morning breaks and light begins to fill the skies. As our natural world’s most impressive and renowned concert, it is almost as though it has been tailor-made for radio.
International Dawn Chorus Day willtake place on Sunday 7th May and this year the Mooney Goes Wild team will be bringing things back home with a celebration of Irish birdsong from Midnight through to 7:00am on RTÉ Radio One, in a simulcast with RTÉ lyric fm.
'Home base’ once again this year will be BirdWatch Ireland’s Cuskinny Marsh Nature Reservein Cobh, Co. Cork, where our main presentation team of Derek Mooney, Niall Hatch, Éanna Ní Lamhna and local Ornithologist, Alan Farrell will introduce The Dawn Chorus and, while the birdsong builds in real time, explain to listeners what our feathered friends are getting up to as the sun rises.
Across the country, Dr Richard Collins, Eric Dempsey and Terry Flanagan will also bring us the birdsong from their parts of Ireland, as the sun gradually breaks the horizon and the birds begin their performances.
We are also delighted to be partnering once again with our colleagues in BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Radio Wales.
This year's dawn chorus is about the birds and listeners. We are counting on our listeners to send us their own recordings and live feeds of the birdsong performance happening near them. It could be the sound from a garden, local park or woodland . . . or even just outside the bedroom window.
So, join us on RTÉ Radio One and RTÉ lyric fm from 00:00 on Sunday 7th May for a very special celebration of our wild birds, an exploration of the shared natural heritage of the Celtic world and the finest free concert you will hear all year.
Love nature, love the Dawn Chorus!
The Dawn Chorus 2023 Panel
Allan is a native of Cobh in County Cork and has had a keen interest in birdlife, nature, and the great outdoors since early childhood. He is a member of the management/steering groups of both Harpers Island Wetlands and Cuskinny Marsh Nature reserves, where he regularly guides visiting groups. He is a committee member of the Cork branch of Birdwatch Ireland and an IWeBS counter for the Cork harbour area. He actively participates in many other bird surveys and conservation projects.
Simulcast: RTÉ Radio 1 & RTÉ lyric fm
0000-0400
DAWN CHORUS LIVE - Derek Mooney and the Mooney Goes Wild team celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day with live coverage of early morning birdsong from Cuskinny Marsh Nature Reserve, Cobh, Co. Cork.
The Dawn Chorus is one of the most magical experiences in nature: a multitude of birds of many different species all singing together in harmony as morning breaks and light begins to fill the skies. As our natural world's most impressive and renowned concert, it is almost as though it has been tailor-made for radio. But what is it all about?
As we wait for dawn to break, reporters, researchers and citizen scientists alike, will be present at various locations throughout Ireland and beyond to bring us the magic of the dawn chorus where they live. Corncrakes in Mayo, Cuckoos in Limerick and Barn Owls in Kilkenny are just some of the key species we hope to hear during this seven-hour marathon song fest.
While we wait for the full Dawn Chorus to begin, RTÉ lyric fm will keep our spirits up with some wonderful music.
VESPERTINE - RTÉ lyric fm's Ellen Cranitch will focus on all things avian as she selects music inspired by the birds. Kate Bush, Oscar Peterson, Martin Hayes and more, all with a nod to the extraordinary and bewitching sounds of our feathered friends.
WHERE LIFE SOUNDS GREENER- Ellen Cranitch brings us highlights from the recent RTÉ lyric Fm initiative, inviting some inspirational writers, ecologists, and composers to share their passion for the environment and select some nature-themed music that has been significant and encouraging to them in their journey through the riches of the natural world.
0400-0700
DAWN CHORUS LIVE - As the sun gradually breaks the horizon and the birds begin their performance at Cuskinny Marsh Nature Reserve in Cobh, we join forces with BBC Radio Wales at Cosmeston park in the Vale of Glamorgan and BBC Radio Ulster at Belvoir forest park in Belfast for what promises to be the greatest show on earth, The Dawn Chorus..