Effect of Seasonal Variations, Altitude and Geographical Location on the Onset of Dawn Chorus in Three Bird Species in Middle East

ABSTRACT

One of the behavioral aspects of passerine birds is their dawn chorus. Therefore the onset of dawn chorus in three bird species (blackbirds, bulbuls and house sparrows) was investigated in different seasons, years and geographical locations with varying temperature range and altitude. Results show that the onset of dawn chorus varied for the different seasons of the year but was similar from year to year and was not affected by varying geographical locations with different altitude and climate. Results also show that different bird species start singing independently of each other. This is the first time that such parameters are investigated for any bird species.