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In the spring and summer months, eager birdsong can be heard even before sunrise. The various species cheerfully let their typical birdsong sound and follow very precise times. Read here when which songbird sounds.

In a nutshell

  • only songbirds sing
  • mostly males to attract females willing to mate
  • often early in the morning
  • Sunrise as reference time
  • each bird species at a specific time and in a specific order

Early morning birdsong

During the breeding season, which takes place between March and July for most birds, lively birdsong can be heard even before the first ray of sunshine. Sunrise and dusk serve as reference times for the eager fellows, which is why many songbirds can be heard as early as three o'clock in the morning during the summer months - the earlier the sun rises, the earlier the animals become active. What disturbs so many human sleepers in their night's sleep, however, follows a sophisticated schedule. The different species do not sing according to their mood, but at very specific times. Basically, following the birdsong, you could set your watch to it - that's how accurate songbirds are to the minute.

Tip: If you want to tell the different species apart by their song, you can actually set the alarm and listen carefully. Our bird clock shows you when which songbird can be heard.

Bird clock: up to 60 minutes before sunrise

Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus)

The redstart starts singing the earliest. The slender, strikingly colored bird has already started singing 80 minutes before sunrise and is between April and July to listen.

  • Body length: 14 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 21 to 25 centimeters
  • Coloration males: conspicuous, red breast and tail with dark center, black throat, white forehead
  • Coloration Females: less conspicuous and lighter than the males, breast and abdomen tinted orange
  • Singing: begins with a high and two low tones ("di-dada"), followed by chattering sounds
  • Food: Insects, caterpillars, spiders, berries

Notice: Redstart breeding populations have declined sharply across Europe, mainly due to the loss of old growth stocks with many dens. With a nest box hung in the garden you help the species.

Black redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros)

The somewhat more common black redstart begins approx. 70 minutes before sunrise to sing loudly. This type is between March and July to listen.

  • Body length: 14 to 15 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 23 to 27 centimeters
  • Coloration males: grey-black with white wing panel, rust-red tail
  • Coloring females: grey-brown, rust-red tail
  • Singing: bright, rattling, crunching, whistling and hissing sounds, very loud
  • Food: Insects, insect larvae, spiders, berries

Notice: Originally, the black redstart was only found in the stony mountainous country, but is now widespread in human settlements. Instead of rock crevices, it uses various openings and niches on buildings to build its nest.

Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Between April and July is 60 minutes before sunrise to hear the barn swallow with its birdsong.

  • Body length: 17 to 19 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 32 to 34 centimeters
  • Coloration: Glossy blue-black with white underside, forked tail, throat and forehead rusty red
  • Song: often calls "witt-witt" in flight; chirping vocals ending with a thriller
  • Occurrence: likes to breed in open buildings (e.g. stables), so it is mainly found in villages
  • Food: flying insects, especially mosquitoes and flies

Bird clock: up to 50 minutes before sunrise

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)

Next in the early morning dance is the song thrush, singing her beautiful birdsong 55 minutes before sunrise sounds. You can between the pretty bird February and July listen.

  • Body length: 23 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 33 to 36 centimeters
  • Coloration: Solid brown above, light underside with darker spots, yellowish-brown underwings
  • Singing: sharp "zip", loud singing consisting of short, repeated stanzas
  • Occurrence: in forests, parks and gardens with trees, prefers conifers
  • Food: earthworms, snails, insects, berries, seeds

Notice: The favorite food of the lively, clever birds are snails, whose shells are cracked open on a stone. Such cracked snail shells can often be found in certain places (so-called “throttle forges”).

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

50 minutes before sunrise the little robin lets its sparkling song sound, often sitting slightly elevated on a branch. Its birdsong can usually be heard between February and July, but can also be heard in autumn and winter.

  • Body length: 14 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 20 to 22 centimeters
  • Colouring: Upper side and tail uniformly brown, breast and throat orange-red with a bluish border
  • Vocals: vocals falling in pitch, sharp "tick" in rapid succession
  • Food: Insects, spiders, (earth)worms, snails, berries and other soft fruits

Notice: In contrast to many other species of songbirds, not only the males of the robin sing, but also the females.

Bird clock: up to 45 minutes before sunrise

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

The blackbird, originally a forest bird, has become an integral part of towns and villages. The pretty black thrush scolds loudly in case of danger (e.g. when a cat sneaks up) and breaks out its melodic, fluting song 45 minutes before sunrise into the summer evening hours. The morning birdsong is between February and July to listen.

  • Body length: 24 to 25 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 34 to 39 centimeters
  • Coloration males: black with yellow beak
  • Coloring females: dark brown with a dark beak
  • Singing: melodic and varied, fluting and trilling
  • Food: Earthworms, insects, snails, berries and fruits

Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella)

At the same time as the blackbird, the little yellowhammer starts the day chirping. Between February and June the singing consisting of several short tones and a long final tone can be heard. With a bit of imagination, this can be described as "I-I-I-love-you" and also sounds on mild summer evenings.

  • Body length: 16 to 17 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 23 to 29 centimeters
  • Coloration of males: Striped brown-black on upper side, chest band and hind-back reddish-brown, golden-yellow head
  • Coloration females: strongly striped underside, yellow head stripes
  • Diet: Seeds and grains, insects and spiders during breeding

Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla)

Along with blackbirds and yellowhammers, the melodious bird song of the blackcap can be heard in the morning, between March and July sounds.

  • Body length: 13 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 20 to 23 centimeters
  • Coloration males: gray underparts, black cap
  • Coloration females: gray underparts, red-brown cap
  • Singing: starts chattering, then gets louder and ends with a whistle; often hard, short "täk"
  • Food: insects, spiders, berries

Bird clock: up to 35 minutes before sunrise

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

40 minutes before sunrise finally the little wren lets out his loud, blaring birdsong. Despite its small size, the song of the male wren is one of the most conspicuous and, at up to 90 decibels, one of the loudest in the native bird world.

  • Body length: 9 to 10 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 13 to 17 centimeters
  • Colouration: brown with dark brown upper side and light brown underside, short tail typically erect
  • Vocals: far audible, blaring vocals with trilling and droning passages; shouts "zrrrrt" hard
  • Food: Insects and spiders, in winter also seeds

Notice: The wren is near all year round to be heard, since with its song it not only courts or demarcates the breeding territory, but also its feeding ground in winter.

Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)

away 35 minutes before sunrise the chiffchaff then begins his concert, which takes place in spring and summer can be heard almost everywhere. His name corresponds to his song, which can be described as "zip-zalp-zip-zalp".

  • Body length: 10 to 11 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 15 to 21 centimeters
  • Colouring: Upper side greenish gray to olive brown, light underside, lighter eye stripe, black legs
  • Vocals: unmistakably monotonous "zip-zalp-zip-zalp"
  • Food: Insects, insect larvae and pupae, spiders, isopods, berries and seeds

Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)

At the same time as the chiffchaff, the blue tit also begins to sing. The pretty, distinctively colored bird can be seen all year round.

  • Body length: 12 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 18 to 20 centimeters
  • Coloration: yellow underparts, blue wings, tail and cap, green back, white face
  • Vocals: long, high thrillers; clamoring ("zerrrrr")
  • Food: Insects, larvae, spiders and seeds

Notice: In winter, the resident birds like to eat sunflower seeds, nuts, apples and berries. Blue tits can often be seen at bird feeders.

Bird clock: up to 20 minutes before sunrise

Great tit (Parus major)

A little later than the blue tit, viz 30 minutes before sunrise, sounds the birdsong of the similar great tit. Their variable singing is also often already from January to listen.

  • Body length: 14 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 23 to 25 centimeters
  • Coloration: yellow underside, black belly stripe, black head with white cheek
  • Song: many different calls, some loud, some purring, often "zi-zi-bah-zi-zi-bah" Food: insects, larvae, caterpillars, spiders in summer, seeds in winter

Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus)

The chiffchaff, which looks very similar to the chiffchaff, is a real long-distance migrant that already lets its powerful bird song sound on the way to its Scandinavian homeland. The Fitisgesang is between April and June away 22 minutes before sunrise to listen.

  • Body length: 11 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 17 to 22 centimeters
  • Coloration: greenish-grey upperside, lighter eye stripe, brownish legs
  • Vocals: falling in pitch, melancholic vocals with a rollover at the end, often rising "hü-iht"
  • Diet: Insects and spiders, occasionally berries and other fruits

Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)

The flashy goldfinch sings off 20 minutes before sunrise his songs. The pretty bird is from February to June to listen.

  • Body length: 12 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 21 to 25 centimeters
  • Coloration: distinctive red face mask, light brown back, broad yellow wing bars
  • Song: eponymous, three-syllable call (“sti-ge-suffered”), softly chirping
  • Food: mainly seeds

Notice: The species is also known as the "golden finch" because the birds can often be seen on thistle flowers.

Bird clock: up to 10 minutes before sunrise

Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)

The often canary-like song of the greenfinch fades away 15 minutes before sunrise and is from January to July to listen.

  • Body length: 15 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 25 to 27 centimeters
  • Coloration Males: Underside yellowish green, moss green back, yellow wing feathers
  • Coloring females: greyish-green, less yellow wing feathers
  • Vocals: choppy vocals made up of chirping and trilling elements with a long final tone
  • Food: Seeds, fruits and buds

Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Likewise 15 minutes before sunrise the starlings begin their loud bird song, in which they often imitate other bird calls. The birds are from January to September to listen.

  • Body length: 22 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 37 to 42 centimeters
  • Colouring: shiny metallic black, yellow beak
  • Vocals: raspy whistles and squeaks, hoarse "ärr"
  • Food: Beetles, insects and insect larvae, cherries and berries

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

To sing, the male likes to sit on a free-standing branch, then present his pink breast and let go 10 minutes before sunrise his loud, unmistakable singing sound. The paraphrase "I-I-I-am-your-groom" is helpful as a mnemonic.

  • Body length: 14 centimeters
  • Wingspan: 25 to 28 centimeters
  • Coloration: Underside brownish-pink, back darker, cap and nape blue-grey, two distinct white wing bars
  • Vocals: Loud, smashing, falling vocals with a rollover at the end
  • Food: beechnuts, berries and seeds, insects, spiders

Notice: With a rough estimate of around 200 million breeding pairs, the chaffinch is by far the most common bird species in Europe.

frequently asked Questions

What birds sing at night?

The only songbird that is actually nocturnal is the nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), which then usually lets its loud singing sound around midnight. The inconspicuous brown-colored, with a length of about 16 centimeters quite small birds inhabit well camouflaged dense bushes. Otherwise, mainly owl birds can be heard at night, but they do not sing or chirp like songbirds. Other birdsong can be heard mainly in the early morning hours, just before or just after sunrise.

Why do birds sing at all?

The busy chirping of the birds is primarily used for courtship, which is why the birdsong can be heard especially during the mating and breeding season from early spring to summer. Mainly the males sing, who want to attract the attention of females willing to mate with their beautiful singing. In addition, the chirping in many species is also used for communication, for example when sparrows “talk” to each other or the animals want to warn each other of approaching predators.

Can all birds sing?

In fact, not all birds “sing” in the literal sense, but only the species classified under the term songbirds. It is a suborder of passerines (Passeriformes), of which there are around 5000 different species worldwide. Of the approx. 250 native species, most of them have declined sharply or are even threatened. All other bird species do not sing or chirp, but still make sounds. However, these are not primarily used for courtship, but for communication with each other.

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Animals in the garden