Dawn Chorus Day Delights

Stewart McDonald

We'll be live on Twitter at 5.30am on Sunday 3 May. Practice your birdsong ID and get involved!

If you're anything like me, you've noticed how much more the birds seem to be singing at the moment. Whether that's because we are all longing for more connection to the outside world, or the birds really are singing louder, it's hard to know. But on International Dawn Chorus Day this Sunday 3 May, we can all get outside (or open a window) and revel in this most glorious of orchestras.

We'll be live-Tweeting from 5.30am, sharing what we hear from our local patch, and we'd love it if you'd join in too. Whether you can get outside, or just open the window and listen to the crescendo building for half an hour in your pyjamas before getting back to bed, it's a great opportunity to come together to celebrate the wildlife near us.

We'll be keeping a record of what we hear and encourage you to do so too, so don't forget to have your phone or a pen and paper to hand to note things down.

If you're not sure you can identify birds from their songs, worry not! We've got some great tutorial videos so you can swot up on some of the most common birds you'll hear.

And even if you just join us for the sheer joy of the chorus, it's still worth getting up early (yes, even that early!) to hear the song build from its earliest-risers to the full crescendo. One of spring's most wonderful spectacles. We can't wait!

Join in

🎶 Do a bit of homework and see how many songs you can learn to recognise (the videos below might help!)
⏰ Set your alarm for 5.30am on 3 May and join us on Twitter @wildlifebcn
👂 Listen out for the birds as different species chime in to the orchestra
🐦 Enjoy the range of sounds and birds waking up as the sun rises
✍️ Note down what you hear. If you know your birdsong you can note species and the time you heard them, or you can take a more creative approach and see if you can draw the sounds using abstract shapes or colours.
📬 Share your lists or notes with us!

Bird song Identification Videos

Katie King talks us through identifying some of the most common birds you'll hear. 

A bumblebee approaching a purple flower

Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography

Support our work

Help us look after the wildlife and wild places near you

We work hard to help nature to thrive across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire with over 100 nature reserves and nine Living Landscapes.

We need your support to continue our work.

Become a member