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Oh yes, Oh yes, there is.
Here on this earth, no expression is too big or too small.

This is what I hear, each time I am immersed in the dawn chorus.

Let me first walk you through what this means.

Come dawn, and the silence is broken by songs of different birds. While in temperate regions this could be largely limited to spring time, which is also the breeding time, in tropical countries like ours, we can hear them through the year, except during the heavy monsoon days.
Chirps, whistles, chatter, shrieks, twitter, songs, this beautiful medley that just comes together at the crack of dawn, is called the ‘Dawn Chorus’.

Some bird species are up and awake in that magic hour when the sun is just rising, but it is not yet bright enough to forage. So, what do you do? You sing. Soon, other bird species also wake up, and they too sing, and voila, there’s a chorus.

If singing expels a lot of energy, why do the birds engage in it, first thing in the morning? Now that we know that nothing in nature is without a purpose, let’s understand why:

  • Attracting a potential mate: Dear female, If I am right here right now singing and I am doing so with such beauty and power, it means I have survived the night. Which also means I am strong and healthy. Are you interested in me?
  • Stay away you other males: This is my territory, my habitat, and I am still strong and alive. So I announce, through my song, do not even think of moving into my territory, or hanging out anywhere close.
  • I still love you my dear partner: We have been together for a long time, and I still wish to let you know how very much I love you.
  • Make the most of the still air and less noise: It’s the best time for me to cast my net far and wide, as my song can travel in the crisp quiet air, and this is also a message for all your other males in all four directions, not to show up here.

This is what their dawn songs do for them – get attention of potential female partners, protect territory, emphasise bonding with their current partners, and make sure that their all-important song travels loud and clear in the crispness and quietness of the morning. So, the rewards certainly outweigh the risks, which is of losing energy.

If this is what it does to the birds, it does something else for me. And this is what I next wish to share with you.

It seems to tell me how important self-expression is. It seems to tell me that no matter whether we are a tiny sunbird or tailorbird, or a medium sized robin or a mynah, or a slightly bigger woodpecker or koel, or as big as a peacock, we have our place in this world. It seems to show me how our voice is essential, as each of our voice brings forth our own purpose, waiting to be sung into the world for our tribe to hear and respond. That doesn’t mean we need to silence the songs of others, or lower our song, or heighten the pitch, as the dawn chorus clearly exhibits immense diversity, space for all, and yet comes together in such joyful harmony, that one bird, or one song, or one note, or one species couldn’t have created this symphony.

We need to sing our song exactly as we were born to do, exactly as our song sounds like, and those who are meant to hear it and receive that message, will. The sunbird isn’t expecting the peacock to respond to its needs, and the shriek cry of the peacock isn’t waiting for a songbird’s praise. It is almost like the Universe created the dawn chorus to show us that our song is waiting to be sung true to who we are, into the open world.

So – whether we are up in the canopy, lower in the branches, live in the bushes, feed on the plants, or are ground birds; whether we wake up a little before sunrise, at the dot of sunrise, or a little after sunrise; whether we whistle, twitter, chirp, quack, hoot, shriek; our tribe is waiting to hear our song, and the world is waiting to admire the symphony.

I therefore invite all of us to sing our song into the world, as that’s what nature seems to teach us every morning through these beautiful creatures. Let’s not wait then, let’s like the beautiful image shows, just sing away.

Thank you for reading.

Would love to hear what came up for you as your read this post. Your sharing, adds to my learning.

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