Topic: Birds around here are acting strangely

Right now, it's midnight where I am, and the birds that normally ring in the dawn are chattering at the top of their lungs.  I don't know what type of bird they are, but they're songbirds that alternate between a multitude of calls.  They're sort of the birdie version of those car alarms that change sounds every few seconds.

Anyway, I've been noticing it since around 10:30 or 11, and at first I thought it was just one bird.  They're so loud, I can hear them inside my house, you see.  But when I stepped outside, I realized it was not just one, but at least 5 of them! 

Maybe this is normal for mating, or whatever, but I usually NEVER hear these birds until the first lightening of the sky at dawn.  Maybe I'm blowing things out of proportion and it's just a few mixed up birds, but I feel there is some meaning to this. 

Does anyone know what birds I'm talking about, and is it normal for them to occasionally sing at night?

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

Are they starlings? They do chatter a lot. smile

We're all butterflies flapping our wings and changing the world.

3 (edited by Lono 2007-04-20 22:05:46)

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

They're not starlings, Starling. LOL!   I raised one once, so I know ALL about their chatter!  No, I think these may be larks, come to think of it.  If not larks, then perhaps mockingbirds.  But aren't larks considered the quintessential morning bird?

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Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

I don't know but there is something really weird happening tonight.  I am feeling a little bit spooked.  Maybe the birds are trying to tell you something.

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

You're probably hearing either mockingbirds or grackles.
They both start early in the morning especially if there are
street lights still on or parking lot lights.  I've been hearing
mourning doves at 5:30 in the morning here too.  Maybe
they set their clocks forward too...

6 (edited by Lono 2007-04-21 06:39:49)

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

Athenais wrote:

I don't know but there is something really weird happening tonight.  I am feeling a little bit spooked.  Maybe the birds are trying to tell you something.

I got that feeling, too.  I was trying to determine whether I was spooked because the birds, or if the birds were already spooked and just transmitted that feeling to me.

Oh, and I just found some bird MP3s, and I'm now pretty sure they were mockingbirds.

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Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

Birds usually call at night for three reasons. Most of the time birds call as a reaction to a disturbance. The disturbance could be the wind, a squirrel nearing a nest, rainfall, or even a car driving down the road. The second reason birds call at night is because of a predator. If an owl or cat is nearby, birds will warn each other for protection. If your neighborhood has pets that are allowed to roam freely or many feral cats you may have more of a problem with birdcalls. Finally, some species typically call only at night. Examples of these nighttime callers are the limpkin and the chuck-wills-widow. Birds usually do not sing at night. If they do it is usually because they have been tricked. Street and security lights make birds think it is dawn and time to announce their territory. This is typical bird behavior, so if you have a well-lit street you may have trouble alleviating the bird singing problem.

http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/articlearchive/birdsatnight.htm

There was one morning in the last week or so when I was shocked to hear NO birds singing after the sun came up.  I can't remember what day it was now. 

I've heard it said that bird calls and insect sounds make help us align our chakras.  They are very sensitive to oncoming weather patterns, which are created largely by our technology, and by human emotions/energy.  They definitely know it when something is up, and I believe they will try to balance the energy with their song.

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

Thanks for finding that!  I don't think it could have been a predator, because these birds were far apart.  I suppose it's possible that the first bird I heard was threatened, and the birds for a mile around were just responding to his/ her call.

The 'tricked' part is interesting, tho.  Hmmm.

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

It's normal for birds to sing at night. Remember, birds don't sing just to attract mates, but to communicate with other birds. At night they're usually communicating about potential predators. Since they don't sleep during the entire night like we do, there'll no doubt be times when they're up and about just chillin'.  In the area I live there's a lot of geese and for the past few weeks I heard them squawking away when I'm trying to fall asleep (around 11 o'clock). They're sometimes so loud that they kept me awake.

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

No offense, seeker, but I think that is - at least partly - wrong.

I've experienced the singing night-birds where I live too, last few weeks, and I honestly reacted to this, because it really was "out of place" to me. In all my years, I do not remember birds chirping at around 12 to 1 o'clock at night - this, as far as I can remember, was a time of profound silence in my memory, of course you might hear an owl occasionally, but no other birds...

But this has occurred many times lately and it surprised me - I also got the thought that "somethings up." And mind you, I'm on the other side of the atlantic ocean, so this seems to put a more global spin on this issue...

I don't know for sure what this could mean, though. But I have a feeling it might be another sign of how out-of-whack things are becoming on this planet. But I won't say that's what it is for sure.

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

OnTrack, I have to agree.  This was the first time I'd ever heard this particular bird call at night, which is why I found it alarming. And it went on for HOURS, much longer than a predator would have warranted.

Interesting that you're on the other side of the Atlantic and heard this, too.  That does make it much larger-scale, doesn't it?

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Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

Hi.  The birds here in the northern kentucky/cincinnati area seem to be loud here lately also.  The tone of their singing is more "alarmed" then "calm".  Especially today.

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

Typically, male mockingbirds will sing at night. Sounds like there was a competition going on!

In man's analysis and understanding of himself, it is as well to know from whence he came as whither he is going.   Edgar Cayce

Beliefs are tools for social conditioning, rather than expressions of inner realization or inner truth.   unknown
Ad Verecundiam

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

treehugger wrote:

Typically, male mockingbirds will sing at night. Sounds like there was a competition going on!

So it was sort of a "Mockingbird Idol?"  LOL!  I listened to them a lot last night, and they didn't seem alarmed-- just chatty.  It made me feel better.

Re: Birds around here are acting strangely

Here it is normal, just the common night birds with lots of owls(good they eat the mouses)
Hummm... Maybe the only thing acting strange at night it is me... lol

Bye, Pictus

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http://pictus.co.nr