Beautiful Birds that Sing at Night

Birds are considered emblematic of the morning, as it is the time when most of the birds are vocal. But there are some beautiful birds that sing at night. Yes, you read it right. Some species of birds find their vocal after dark, and listening to these nocturnal birds at night can be an enchanting experience. 

List of Birds that Sing at Night

Owls are popular for their night hootenannies, but you can hear many birds chirping at night. In fact, there are many night birds in the ecosystem that sing at night. Now you must be thinking, what birds sing at night? Here is a list of birds that sing at night. 

Northern Mockingbird

It is one of the most popular Florida state birds and an accompanied mimic. The northern mockingbird is the most familiar night singing bird with a broad repertoire. It is present throughout the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico, and southern Canada. These birds have a beautiful ability to sing different notes, tones, and sequences in sets of three.

Moreover, they can switch to new tunes frequently, which shows their vocal prowess. These birds sing from a high perch and can be easily found in suburban and urban areas. Northern mockingbirds find inspiration from the songs of other birds, and sometimes they also sing their tunes around the clock. 

Hermit Thrush

This beautiful reddish-brown hermit thrush is one of the most popular birds chirping at night. There are higher chances that most of the night birds sound that you hear is of this thrush. It is the most beautiful night bird found in North America and is also found in Mexico and Canada, depending on the migration timing and season. 

The songs of these night birds are filled with warbles and musical whistles that are easy to listen to. Moreover, it often sings late in the evening or early during the morning time. It is specifically true in late fall and spring when these birds sing further during the nighttime hours. 

Eastern Whip-Poor-Will

What birds sing at night? Eastern whip-poor-will is the right answer to this question. Technically these night birds are not a songbird, yet it has a fabled call that has inspired its name and also has enchanted generations. These nocturnal birds often roost during days, but at night they sing chanting songs that rise high at the end. To invite these birds, hang a bird roosting box in your backyard. 

During summer and spring, these birds breed in mixed or deciduous forests across Southern Canada and Easter U.S. They sleep on the ground during the daytime and then venture at moonlit nights or twilight to eat insects. 

American Robin

It is one of the most popular types of songbirds and is also among the most common backyard birds of Michigan. These birds that sing at night belong to the family of the dawn chorus. 

Pollution in suburban and urban areas can trick these birds into singing through the night, especially during spring. These birds stay along all year round, and you can also hear them singing in winter and fall no matter how unexpected their songs might be. 

Common Nightingale

One of the most popular birds that sing at night in Asia, Africa, and Europe, is a common nightingale. It may seem simple, but its songs are anything but ordinary. Common nightingale can sing more than 200 songs and might sing them beautifully all night. It has the most beautiful night bird sounds. 

Though the common nightingale is shy and stays in a dense brush, it has a rich, melodious, flute-like voice. You can hear the sounds of these night birds from great distances and for long time periods as these nocturnal birds are never tired of singing. 

Black-Crowned Night-Heron

Though these are not the birds that sing at night, you can hear their croaking and raspy call all through the night. It can add an eerie overture to their wetlands, marshes, and swamps, which these birds call home. As these birds are found across the globe, including South and North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, you can easily recognize their voice. 

Yellow-Breasted Chat

What birds sing at night? The beautiful yellow-breasted chat is the right answer to the question. These are one of the most popular and loved birds that sing at night. They are known for their bold yellow-colored breast and throat, but they prefer to stay hidden. 

When they want to sing, they come out in a more open spot and entertain the listeners with their whistling chatters, warbling chirps, and raspy notes, all woven to form a loud, heard song. These night birds sounds can only be heard during spring, and they are often heard only at night. 

Killdeer

Killdeer is also one of the birds that sing at night. It has a distinctive piercing call which sounds like a chattering and frantic song at night. These birds also make a sound while in flight, no matter what time it is. Moreover, they also might be calling during the night when they migrate in early spring or late fall. In order to hear killdeer, you will have to go near open or shallow water or barren fields, which are ideal for foraging and nesting. 

European Robin

This one is among the beautiful birds that sing at night. It has a big voice and often sings year-round to defend its territory. Bright suburban and urban lights can fool these night birds into singing throughout the night. Fortunately, the lilting songs and occasional whistling tones create beautiful songs which you will love to hear. 

If not tricked by artificial lights, European robins sing late in the evening and early in the morning. These are not nocturnal birds, but they are adequately adapted to twilight; therefore, they are the first birds that sing at dawn and last to sing till dusk. 

Barred Owl

Barred owls are one of the most common nocturnal birds that sing at night. They have a mournful hooting call containing longer notes at the end. Their voices can be heard throughout their range in Pacific Northwest, western Canada, and the United States. These owls may be solo when they sing, or they also pair in duets during breeding season and courtship. 

A pair of these big barred owls may call each other throughout the night. Moreover, the solar birds also sing for hours after sunset. 

Black Rail

It is a secretive swamp bird that is often found in scattered parts of the United States, including the Caribbean, coastal Texas, and some parts of South America. This night bird has a distinctive song like a call which feels like a melodious song. It repeats ki-ki-Koo calls over and over during the night with a rich, pipe-like tone. 

As these birds are reclusive and shy, hearing them singing is often easier as compared to spot them at night. Many species of these night birds that sing at night seek refuge in forests or marshes with dense vegetation where you can hear some common voices of nocturnal birds. 

Common Loon

Sounds of a few birds are as memorable or mournful as the yodeling of common loons. After the sun goes down, you can frequently hear these night birds producing wolf-like walls and cackling tremolos which are no less haunting. The population of common loons has declined in the northern U.S. Common loons eat fish and receive a full dose of toxins like mercury.  

Eurasian Nightjar

These night birds have an iconic voice that you can hear on a summer evening across Asi, Europe, and North Africa. Like other nightjars, it is an order of birds which is known as Caprimulgiformes. It is derived from a Latin word that means “goat sucker.” The belief came from the wide mouths of these birds and their habit of feeding near-gazing animals. 

Nightjars use their mouths to eat insects, and to sing at night, usually around dawn and dusk. The word “nightjar” refers to the loud, jarring, or churring call of males that includes around 1,900 individual notes per minute. 

Great Reed Warbler

This one is among the cute night birds that sing at night. These small insect-eating species can be found in Western Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Moreover, it is also found in Kiribati and Hawaii. Some species of the great reed warbler breeds throughout Asia and mainland Europe during summer and spring. For winter, they migrate to sub-Saharan Africa. Males use powerful songs to attract females. These songs last from 20 seconds to 20 minutes and can be heard upto 450 meters.  

Final Words

There is a wide range of birds that sing at night, and these can be found in different parts of the world. The songs of these birds are melodious and soothing, perfect to create a positive vibe. Tell us about your favorite night birds by dropping a comment.