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Check PriceYou never know what you might hear on a January morning until you hear the song of a cardinal or the song of a mockingbird. However, it's jarring to hear birds singing when the ground is covered in snow and temperatures are freezing. Why would these birds be singing?
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Winter Singing: What is Happening and How Backyard Birds Do It
Not every species of bird migrates south for the winter, and many stay put while continuing to sing after the summer breeding season has drawn to a close. Perhaps the most recognizable of the winter singers are the northern cardinals. Males sing their songs which consist of multiple bright whistles, and they do so from the bare branches of the trees during the coldest months. Northern mockingbirds sing all day and all night, even in the dead of winter, and they sing from the very top of the trees and they do so thousands of times while repeating several of the melodies that they borrowed. During the winter, blue jays will join in and contribute their unique calls as well as some of their more musical notes. Lastly, the white-throated sparrows can be heard singing their distinct whistling songs in the undergrowth of the woodlands.
This behavior does not occur in a vacuum, as song sparrows, Carolina wrens, tufted titmice, and house finches are also known to sing persistently and structured call songs well into winter as daylight begins to lengthen after the winter solstice. If you are hearing structured song, as opposed to just short contact calls or alarm notes, you are witnessing a remarkable behavioral phenomenon, despite the frigid temperatures.
The Length of the Day, Hormones, and a Bird's Internal Calendar
Birds don't use thermometers to decide if they will sing. They instead respond to photoperiod which is the length of daylight in a 24-hour cycle. Days start to lengthen after the winter solstice in late December. Birds detect this change even if there is only a minute more of daylight each week. Increasing daylight triggers the release of reproductive hormones that prepare them for the breeding season ahead.
Several species experience hormonal changes that can occur weeks or months before nesting actually begins. For instance, testosterone increases in males that triggers them to sing, defend territories, and compete for females—all activities that can occur while snow is still on the ground. Starting these activities earlier than others allows them to claim and defend the best territories before competition increases as spring arrives.
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This process takes time. Birds go through a step-by-step developmental process as their reproductive organs enlarge, and they produce more hormones. For instance, some resident species like cardinals and mockingbirds, are ready for territorial behaviors like nest building as early as February, even if it is still cold outside! This is because their internal clock is dictated by daylight, not the temperature. Because of this the cold does not quiet their singing.
Why Singing is Important in Winter: Territory, Mates, and Survival Signs
Singing in the winter helps the birds survive the season and has a direct impact on the birds' chances to reproduce in the spring. Most important, singing helps to establish and defend feeding territories. Food sources in winter are scarce. Instead they are concentrated in places like shrub, seed-producing plants, and, yes, bird feeders. Winter male cardinals and Carolina wrens sing to attract mates and warn rivals to stay away from these food sources. This helps secure food access for both the mates during the winter.
The winter song also aids in establishing pair bonds. Some common species in backyards, like cardinals, chickadees and titmice form pair bonds that last throughout the year. Singing during winter helps strengthen pair bonds before the intense breeding season. Male cardinals sing to communicate with the rival males, but also to the partner he has established a bond with.
Most notably, the winter song serves as a fitness signal. Even though not all song birds singing through the winter will survive to the spring, singing during winter is energetically expensive. A bird able to sing while winter foraging is advertising his quality. He demonstrates his ability to find food, the agility to avoid predators, and the physical condition to endure on top of the energy demands of singing. The winter performances give valuable information to females choosing mates and to rivals deciding whether to contest a territory.
You may have noticed that sometimes winter songs are shorter or less complex than those of spring. Birds are managing their energy budget and providing just enough vocal performance to meet their objectives without exhausting their energy reserves. However, with longer days and better conditions, these songs tend to be longer, louder, and more intricate.
How to listen to, attract, and support winter singers in your yard
Some easy ways to support and enjoy these vocal performers right in your backyard.
Offer high-quality food. During winter, birds need a lot of dense and nutritious calories for both survival and for winter singing. Black oil sunflower seeds attract cardinals, chickadees, titmice, and finches. Suet is important for wrens, woodpeckers and other insectivores and gives them fat. Keep your feeders full and consistently stocked. Birds rely on food sources to help them maintain the body condition needed for singing.
Water sources are more difficult to come by than food sources in winter. A heated birdbath as well as a simplified water source which you refill regularly will draw in birds and help them stay healthy. Birds require water in every season of the year including winter. Each year, a reliable water source in your yard will keep birds returning to your yard throughout winter as their territory.
Provide some shelter and cover for winter birds in cold and windy conditions. Brush roosting boxes and dense evergreen shrubs allow birds to escape from the harsh weather and from potential predators. Birds that nest in the area feel really secure and are more likely to sing from perches where they are protected. Protected perches enable birds to establish territories in your yard. If your yard has some wild looking areas, that’s okay. Tangles of vegetation and exposed seed heads offer birds both food and shelter.
Pay attention to the timing of your listening. Winter songbirds are most active around warm spells and early mornings. After several days of cold weather, winter songbirds will be very vocal if weather warms. They respond positively to the more favorable weather conditions. Increased song activity can be observed in the late afternoon as days grow longer in late winter.
To keep your habitat bird friendly all year, include native plants that have winter berries, persistent seed heads, and dense branching structures. Serviceberry and winterberry shrubs, coneflower plants, and native grasses will help sustain the winter birds and year round wildlife in your habitat.
When you support winter singers, you appreciate the beauty of music created on frigid mornings and aid in the survival and breeding success of the birds who bring life and color to the harshest season. Notice the species singing in your area, observe the changes in their singing patterns as spring draws near, and appreciate the fact that your yard is helping them thrive.
Happy birding!
