The Dawn Chorus: Where to Hear Britain's Spring Birdsong

On a still morning in early May, the hour before sunrise brings one of the great natural sounds of the year: the dawn chorus. Male birds sing to defend territories and attract mates, and in spring they do it most intensely at first light, when the air is calm and sound travels furthest. You can hear it from almost any garden, but in a good wood or wetland it is overwhelming.

At a glance

When: late April to the end of May, peaking in early May. Time: from about an hour before sunrise. Where: woodland, wetland and reedbed reserves. Cost: free; guided dawn walks may charge. Date for the diary: International Dawn Chorus Day, the first Sunday in May.

When to hear it

Early May is the peak

Resident birds such as robins, blackbirds and wrens start singing in late winter. By late April and early May, summer migrants like blackcaps, chiffchaffs and warblers have arrived and joined in, and the chorus is at its fullest.

Get up early

In early May, sunrise is around half past five, so the chorus starts at around half past four. It tails off as the morning goes on. A calm, dry morning is best; wind and rain both dampen it.

International Dawn Chorus Day

Held on the first Sunday in May each year — 2 May 2027 — when wildlife trusts and RSPB reserves across the country run guided dawn walks. They book up, and are a good introduction for beginners.

Where to go

Ancient woodland

Old broadleaved woods hold the most songbirds, and in early May they are often carpeted with bluebells too. See our guide to bluebell woods for some of the best.

Reedbeds and wetlands

Reedbeds add warblers, the booming of bitterns and the calls of water birds. RSPB Leighton Moss, near Silverdale in Lancashire, is one of the best, as is RSPB Minsmere on the Suffolk coast, near Westleton.

The Somerset Levels

The reserves at Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath, near Glastonbury, are among the best places in Britain to hear bitterns booming in spring, alongside warblers and cuckoos.

The New Forest

Ancient woodland and heath in the New Forest give a varied chorus and, on heathland at dusk, the strange churring of nightjars later in the spring.

Birds to listen for

The robin and the blackbird

Usually among the first to start: the robin's thin, wistful song and the blackbird's rich, mellow fluting.

The wren

Tiny but astonishingly loud, with a fast rattling song ending in a trill.

The cuckoo

A rarer sound now than it once was, but still heard in many places in May. Hearing the first cuckoo has long been a sign of spring.

Use an app

Free sound-identification apps can name birds from their songs as you listen, which makes a dawn walk much more rewarding.

Making a trip of it

A dawn chorus walk suits a rural stay where you can step outside at first light. A cottage near a woodland or wetland reserve is ideal. For more, see our guides to wildlife staycations and spring staycations.