Wake up to a chorus of spring birdsong
THE RSPB is encouraging people to get up early to enjoy and celebrate birdsong on International Dawn Chorus Day this Sunday.
Nature’s best singers start the day by staking out their territories and serenading each other, advertising that love is in the air and spring has sprung.
This year, on International Dawn Chorus Day, the RSPB is not just asking people to wake up to the dawn chorus but also to wake up to the fact this national treasure is under threat with many of the UK’s favourite birds in decline.
The dawn chorus is the time when our birds sing to each other, taking advantage of the quiet. As the sun rises, birdsong builds over the course of an hour – and birds that live in the UK all year long are joined by those which fly here every summer from
Africa to raise a family and give the next generation the best possible start.
Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB, said: “We love our wildlife here in the UK and people are interested in what they can hear in the dawn chorus and why it happens at this time of year. We get so many calls from people to say how much they love listening, but questioning whether it’s as loud as it once was. The answer is no, we have lost around 40 million birds from our skies in the UK since 1966, and many of the nation’s favourite birds are continuing to decline. Which does mean, although still spectacular, the dawn chorus is losing its singers.”
Some of the best places to experience the dawn chorus are at over 200 RSPB reserves. And to help everyone experience this natural wonder, the RSPB has organised a festival of events at over 30 locations across the UK, with experts available to help people learn how to identify birds by their song. The dawn chorus festival will also be taking over social media as the RSPB will be streaming birdsong online from different locations.
For those who prefer to enjoy International Dawn Chorus Day without leaving their bed, visit https://www.facebook.com/RSPBLoveNature/ to hear the dawn chorus streamed live.
Ms Speight added: “Listening to birdsong is the perfect way to wake up, and the dawn chorus is a natural wonder we can all enjoy wherever we are. But for our birds this amazing song is a serious business as they are looking for love, declaring where they live and that they are looking to build a home to raise a family.
“Even if you are not going to be getting up at first light we are asking everyone to wake up to the dawn chorus, a natural spectacle that is under threat. Whether it is the familiar birds of our parks and gardens or the songs of the birds found in our woodlands, farmlands and coasts, we need to protect the dawn chorus for future generations, which includes our politicians turning their promises to halt wildlife decline into the action required.”
To find out more about International Dawn Chorus Day, top tips for hearing birdsong and festival events being organised by the RSPB visit: www.rspb.org.uk/dawnchorus