One of the most fascinating things about songbirds is how their singing changes over the course of the spring and summer. For both the yearlong residents and the migrants who come to breed, April and May are intense periods of sometimes practically non-stop singing.
But in June with mating over and the young beginning to leave the nest, the songs of the males begin to be heard less and less. Birds, of course, don't sing because they are happy but to attract and keep mates and to announce their presence and defend their territory.
By July, most birds have stopped singing. For example, this week Elaine and I spent one night at the home of Bill and Bonnie Amshey in Fairfax County. I went walking right after dawn broke, and only heard two birds singing: a chipping sparrow and a great-crested flycatcher. Even the red-eyed vireos weren't singing.
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