Many birds are most vocal at dawn and dusk, but some species actually become more noisy after dark. Birds that are active at night produce loud calls for several key reasons: defending their territory, attracting mates, navigating in the dark, or as part of their innate biology.
Territorial Defense
Birds that are most vocal after sunset are often doing so to defend their breeding and roosting territories. By singing at night, they are warning rival males to stay away and alerting any females in the area to their presence. Some examples of birds that sing loudly into the night to protect their turf include:
- Northern Mockingbird – Mockingbirds will sing persistently through the night during the breeding season. Both males and females sing complex songs with a variety of phrases and notes repeated multiple times. They may sing to define the boundaries of their territory or to attract a mate.
- European Robin – Robins are one of the first birds in the morning and last birds at night to sing. Males establish breeding territories in spring and will sing cheerily through the night to warn away intruders.
- Common Loon – Loons produce a wide repertoire of wails, tremolos, and yodels to communicate with each other across lakes. Males defend territories and will aggressively defend them from rivals at night when trespassers are more difficult to see.
Territorial singing declines once breeding is over, indicating that defending resources like food and nesting sites is the primary reason behind this nocturnal behavior in many birds.
Mate Attraction
In addition to warding off rivals, nocturnal singing for species like mockingbirds and robins helps attract mates. Unmated males sing more frequently and more loudly at night in hopes of enticing females to their territory to breed.
Some tropical species rely heavily on nighttime singing to advertise themselves to potential partners. For example:
- Nightjars – This family of nocturnal birds that includes nighthawks and whip-poor-wills uses song to communicate during courtship. The breeding season triggers intensive bouts of singing from dusk until dawn.
- Owls – Male owls sing to declare ownership of a territory and search for a mate. Barred owls and Eastern screech owls are especially vocal at night as they establish breeding territories in late winter and early spring.
Even during the non-breeding season, nighttime vocalizations may help pairs of birds locate roosting partners and maintain pair bonds.
Navigation in the Dark
The blackness of night poses an additional challenge for birds that are active after sunset. Singing allows birds that cannot see well in low light to stay in contact with each other and find their way around.
For instance, ducks and geese produce distinctive contact calls that help scattered birds regroup on ponds and lakes after nightfall. The birds may also use these vocalizations to locate safe areas to spend the night.
Nocturnal migrants like woodcocks and snipes make loud, piercing calls as they travel over the landscape at night during seasonal migrations. It is thought these vocalizations help the birds stay together, find suitable stopover sites, and avoid collisions in mid-air.
Biological Drivers
In some nocturnal species, singing behavior appears to be hard-wired for specific times of day. The timing and frequency of vocalizations are controlled innately by the bird’s biological rhythms.
For example, woodcocks engage in spectacular aerial displays and mating calls after sunset during the spring breeding season. This crepuscular behavior happens automatically at a certain time each night, triggered by hormonal changes and the bird’s internal clock.
Whip-poor-wills are also driven by biology to vocalize more actively in the hours around dusk and dawn. Their circadian rhythms induce the increased singing and calling regardless of whether it results in attracting a mate.
Common Noisy Night Birds
So what are some of the loudest and most persistent avian singers after the sun goes down? Here are some of the top offenders:
European Robin
Robins sing cheerfully at dawn, dusk, and through the night during spring. The males’ high-pitched melodies mark their breeding territories and attract mates.
Northern Mockingbird
Mockingbirds sing a mix of their own songs and sounds mimicked from other birds all night long during breeding season. Their loud, repetitive songs defend nesting areas.
Common Loon
Loons produce an eerie mix of wails, tremolos, and hoots to communicate and defend territory. Their calls can be heard from miles away across lakes.
Eastern Screech Owl
Screech owls trill and whinny to defend nest sites and attract mates. When doing duets, the male’s call is pitched lower than the female’s.
Barred Owl
Barred owls use their signature call, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?” to establish territories and find mates at night.
Mourning Dove
Mourning doves coo persistently at dawn and dusk, and may vocalize on moonlit nights. Their soft, plaintive coos signal territorial claims.
American Woodcock
Woodcocks perform spiraling aerial displays accompanied by twittering calls and meteoric peenting sounds at dusk in spring. The shows attract females for mating.
Whip-poor-will
Whip-poor-wills constantly repeat their loud, whip-poor-WILL calls on moonlit nights. The sounds help defend territory and attract a mate.
Common Nighthawk
Common nighthawks make a loud “peent” call while diving through the air to establish territories and attract females.
Noisiest Birds at Night
While many birds may sing or call after dark, some species truly excel at nighttime noisemaking. Here are 5 of the loudest and most persistent avian vocalists after sunset:
| Bird | Call Description | Call Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Mockingbird | Persistent songs and mimicry of other birds, repeated over and over through the night | Territory defense and mate attraction |
| Common Loon | Far-carrying wails, yodels, and tremolos that can be heard for miles | Territory defense, communication |
| European Robin | Loud, cheerful, repetitive warbling | Territory defense, mate attraction |
| Whip-poor-will | Endless repetition of its loud, whip-poor-WILL call | Territory defense, mate attraction |
| Eastern Screech Owl | Whinnying trills, often in duets between the male and female | Territory defense, pair bonding, mating |
Dealing with Noisy Night Birds
Loud bird songs and calls after dark can be annoying for light-sleeping homeowners. Here are some tips for dealing with noisy night birds:
- Play white noise or nature sounds to help drown out the birds.
- Use earplugs or run a fan to block out noise.
- Close windows facing their territory to reduce the volume.
- Install sound dampening insulation, curtains, or double-paned windows.
- Run sprinklers or shine flashlights to scare problematic birds away.
- Remove food sources like birdbaths and feeders to encourage birds to nest elsewhere.
In most cases, the noisy behavior will stop once mating and breeding is over for the season. For persistent noisemakers, seek advice from wildlife authorities on acceptable deterrents.
Conclusion
Singing and calling after dark serves important purposes for many avian species. Territorial defense, mate attraction, navigation, and innate biology all drive this noisy nocturnal behavior. Birds like mockingbirds, loons, robins, and nightjars are among the most vocal after sunset. Their persistent songs and calls may annoy some homeowners trying to sleep. But in most cases, the nightly serenades only last for the few weeks of each species’ breeding season.
