The effect of elevation on the timing of the dawn chorus Variation in dawn chorus timing with elevation

Abstract

Due to rising temperatures driven by climate change, the daily rhythms of the Australian Alps are undergoing profound shifts, impacting a diverse array of species and their behaviours. The ‘dawn chorus,’ a natural symphony where birds unite in melodic harmony in the early morning, is falling out of sync due to evolving environmental cues, notably temperature and light. This study addresses the question of whether the dawn chorus initiation time varies with elevation and explores the hypothesis that bird routines are tied to the availability of food resources. Our findings assessing the calls of the grey fantail, Ripidura albiscapa, derived from autonomous recordings at four sites along an elevational gradient and taking temperature into account, consistently reveal a delayed start to the dawn chorus at higher elevations, with an associated decrease in average temperature. These results not only illuminate the complex interplay between elevation, temperature and the dawn chorus, but also underscore the far-reaching implications of climate change on the delicate rhythms of nature.