dawn chorus

noun

plural dawn choruses

: the singing of wild birds that closely precedes and follows sunrise especially in spring and summer

With the first chirps of the dawn chorus, the shopkeepers drew the dewy bolts on their shop doors.

—Atef Abu Saif

During the lockdown we haven't been allowed to forget the birds who have been louder with their dawn choruses with no traffic to drown them out.

—Alan Wright

Examples of dawn chorus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These findings might help answer a long-standing question: Why do birds around the world sing in a daily dawn chorus? —Olivia Ferrari, Scientific American, 12 Dec. 2023

Bruce said research has found that the noisier and brighter the setting, the earlier the dawn chorus starts. —John Kelly, Washington Post, 19 June 2023

The loud dawn chorus kicks off around 4:30 a.m., and my wife has taken to putting in earplugs first thing in the morning to get another hour of sleep. —John Kelly, Washington Post, 19 June 2023

Experiential wellness includes forest yoga classes, listening to the dawn chorus, and customised spa lotions made with wild vanilla and botanical herbs. —Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined above