Attracting a mate is a great motivator for the dawn chorus, but the birds’ many different melodies and calls can also signify other things. They often sing to notify others of their individual species’ territories. And as the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm: They sing to alert their mates and young to the location of a food source.

If a predator is spotted in the area, it is believed that birds will communicate the news via song to both their own species and the species of other birds.

Socialization is important, so sometimes a particular harmony in the dawn chorus simply means that birds are bonding.

The American robin often likes to get started in the wee hours of the morning with its solo. And if you’ve ever tried to figure out the species of bird based on individual voice, you’re picking up on a unique nuance of the dawn chorus.

In a National Geographic article, Mike Webster, ornithologist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, marvels at how birds instinctively know when to break into chorus. “Each species tends to have a very specific time or amount of time before sunrise when they start singing. It’s really very precisely timed.”

Many species participate in the daily performance of the dawn chorus, from the Carolina wren to the brown thrasher, with finches, cardinals, sparrows, and woodpeckers gladly joining in. Species participation can differ according to location. In Sydney, Australia, the brightly colored rainbow lorikeet often leads the choir with its unabashed song.