What are the usual hours they sing at? I have heard them on two occasions singing at about 2 am and on neither occasion was there a lot of moon light.
bob(from black rock) said:
What are the usual hours they sing at? I have heard them on two occasions singing at about 2 am and on neither occasion was there a lot of moon light.
They quite often sing in the middle of the night around here, in good weather.
Bubblecar said:
bob(from black rock) said:What are the usual hours they sing at? I have heard them on two occasions singing at about 2 am and on neither occasion was there a lot of moon light.
They quite often sing in the middle of the night around here, in good weather.
Yes I hear them as well, perhaps they sing if they wake up in the middle of the night
They are diurnal in their habits but known to enjoy a bit of vocalising in the wee hours now & then.
Probably warning each other about cats or some such…
They are trying to sing you to sleep. Your thoughts disturb theirs…………..
Perhaps the young adult magpies are just getting home, get told off by mum and dad and are the singing means “You aren’t the boss of me!”
Cymek said:
Perhaps the young adult magpies are just getting home, get told off by mum and dad and are the singing means “You aren’t the boss of me!”
I think you might have just nailed the impression I got the other night listening to them.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
It’s always after midnight.
OK, thanks folks, so it sounds like I didn’t imagine this.
They will sing all night if the moon is full or nearly full. At our place you can stand outside and hear them carolling at each other all over town. I understand it is indeed the young males who do this mostly.
That’s what I said about Gremlins…
furious said:
- It’s always after midnight.
That’s what I said about Gremlins…
And you were right.
Stupid movie … it’s after midnight all fucking day.
bob(from black rock) said:
What are the usual hours they sing at? I have heard them on two occasions singing at about 2 am and on neither occasion was there a lot of moon light.
Not here, and that’s only a couple of suburbs away. There are a few birds that I’ve known to sing around 2 am, including koel (in Bowral), seagull and masked lapwing (spur-winged plover). From vague memory there have been quite a few others, magpie-lark?. I once accidentally woke a blue wren in the early morning – who scolded me.
I have a recording of part of the dawn chorus from Westgate Park if that helps, but that’s much later in the morning. I also (somewhere) noted when each bird around here woke up one morning.
Jet lag perhaps?
dv said:
It’s always after midnight.
Thanks, sorry, after midnight, but before Sun rise.
it’s breeding season
buffy said:
They will sing all night if the moon is full or nearly full. At our place you can stand outside and hear them carolling at each other all over town. I understand it is indeed the young males who do this mostly.
Yes. It is the young birds.
roughbarked said:
buffy said:They will sing all night if the moon is full or nearly full. At our place you can stand outside and hear them carolling at each other all over town. I understand it is indeed the young males who do this mostly.
Yes. It is the young birds.
Yeah “Hey George I just shagged your sister” , “Yeah Fred well I just shagged your Mum and your sister and they are both better Roots than you!
it’s not just young birds. it’s done by mating couples who are expressing territorial rights.
“These calls are connected to territorial defence, serving as a sonic claim to a defined area. They are often made by a single bird then affirmed by a response from a partner; this “duet” asserts the pair’s control of the territory, and warns other magpies against intrusion. This control becomes especially important during the mating season, which is why adult birds can sometimes be heard nocturnally in this period. (This is also the season during which a minority of male birds will “swoop” at humans traversing their territory.)
Furthermore, this night-singing serves to assist in the retention of a strong pair bond, an imperative which is again closely linked to the mating season.”
bob(from black rock) said:
roughbarked said:
buffy said:They will sing all night if the moon is full or nearly full. At our place you can stand outside and hear them carolling at each other all over town. I understand it is indeed the young males who do this mostly.
Yes. It is the young birds.
Yeah “Hey George I just shagged your sister” , “Yeah Fred well I just shagged your Mum and your sister and they are both better Roots than you!
They aren’t Greek.
Arts said:
it’s not just young birds. it’s done by mating couples who are expressing territorial rights.“These calls are connected to territorial defence, serving as a sonic claim to a defined area. They are often made by a single bird then affirmed by a response from a partner; this “duet” asserts the pair’s control of the territory, and warns other magpies against intrusion. This control becomes especially important during the mating season, which is why adult birds can sometimes be heard nocturnally in this period. (This is also the season during which a minority of male birds will “swoop” at humans traversing their territory.)
Furthermore, this night-singing serves to assist in the retention of a strong pair bond, an imperative which is again closely linked to the mating season.”
Well done.