Bird songs › Birds at night

Birds at night

Most birds go quiet at dusk, but some are just starting. Here are the 11 birds in our field guide that are active after dark, with real recordings so you can match the sound.

Owls hunt at night and hoot to hold their territory. Herons keep fishing in the dark. Geese often fly and call at night when they migrate. In the United States the best known night singer is the Northern Mockingbird, which is not in our field guide yet, and American Robins sometimes sing under street lights. In Australia, the Willie Wagtail is famous for singing on moonlit nights.

Barred Owl Strix varia

Rich hooting: "Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?"

Active at dusk and at night. Habitat: Backyard, Eastern North America.

Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias

A deep, harsh croak when disturbed.

Active at dawn, by day, at dusk and at night. Habitat: Lake and wetland, North American lakes and marshes.

Canada Goose Branta canadensis

Loud honking "ah-honk".

Active at dawn, by day, at dusk and at night. Habitat: Lake and wetland, North American lakes and marshes.

Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys

A sweet chattering "sweet pretty creature", and a scolding rattle.

Active at dawn, by day and at night. Habitat: Australian bush, Eastern Australia, among gum trees.

Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides

A deep, soft "oom-oom-oom" repeated at night.

Active at dusk and at night. Habitat: Australian bush, Eastern Australia, among gum trees.

Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia

A soft "coo-coooo", and a rattlesnake-like hiss from the burrow.

Active at dawn, by day, at dusk and at night. Habitat: Desert scrub, Sonoran Desert, Arizona and Mexico.

Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis

Cackling and grunting calls at the nest.

Active by day and at night. Habitat: Sea cliffs, North Atlantic coast, in summer.

Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus

Loud piping "kleep-kleep", often in noisy groups.

Active by day and at night. Habitat: Sea cliffs, North Atlantic coast, in summer.

Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax

A flat, barking "quok" at dusk.

Active at dawn, at dusk and at night. Habitat: Garden pond, East Asia, at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

European Robin Erithacus rubecula

A sweet, wistful warble sung all year, sometimes at night under streetlights.

Active at dawn, by day, at dusk and at night. Habitat: City park, Europe, in a London park.

Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus

Soft, nasal honking.

Active by day, at dusk and at night. Habitat: Mountain lake, Eastern Himalayas, Yunnan, China, at about 3,700 m.

More birds by sound

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