Dawn chorus in an urban garden (Raffles Hall)

Have you ever taken notice of the birds singing in the morning as you leave your house for the 8am urban ecology lectures?

Dawn chorus is a phenomenon in which many birds have a peak in their singing activity during the dawn hours. Some researchers hypothesize that dawn chorus may play a role in territorial defense and mate selection. Others hypothesize that this phenomenon occurs because dawn is when microclimatic conditions are optimal for the propagation of sound over longer distances without being attenuation or disruption.

Though I have been staying in Raffles Hall over the past four years,  I realized it recently as I leave my room early in the morning for the 8am lectures there is actually a substantial dawn chorus in Raffles Hall. Raffles hall is found opposite Yusoff Ishak House, in the centre of NUS. Accordingly to my block residental fellow, Professor Yap, whom is also a nature lover, Raffles Hall is home to quite a diversity of plants, which may be a reason why it is also frequently visited by a diversity of birds.

Raffles Hall

Photo of Raffles Hall

So I  woke up earlier one morning before urban ecology lecture to record down the dawn chorus of Raffles Hall.  If you have never notice the dawn chorus in your neighborhood before, here is a 16 minutes sound recording of the dawn chorus in Raffles Hall for your appreciation.

Note: Try clicking along the recording at different timings to hear different species of birds singing. Some birds start singing earlier while others start singing later.

References cited:

Catchpole, C. K., & Slater, P. J. B. (2008). Bird Song: Biological Themes and Variations: Cambridge University Press.

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