Dawnsong

[Mitch Booth]

Do the males or females dawn sing? Do both SY and ASY birds sing the Dawnsong?

Mitch

[Zach]

The males are the ones that sing in the morning to get females to come check out the cavity that they like.

[Louise Chambers]

It's an ASY male thing - like inviting the younger males out for a snipe hunt Some SY males begin to practice dawnsong late in the nesting season, gearing up for their first turn as ASY performers next spring.

[Mitch Booth]

Louise,

It appears the ASY male and SY female have claimed a gourd. They've been in there for over an hour.

Will he continue to Dawn sing since he already has a mate? Is his goal to attract other females for multiple partners or just other martins in general if he does continue to Dawn sing.

Thanks

Mitch

[Louise Chambers]

Dawnsong is usually in sync with egg-laying, he wouldn't want to attract more males until after his mate is ready to lay eggs that he fertilized. Once that's happened, he should dawnsing to attract more martins, and maybe father more nestlings with the SY males' mates. tsk tsk

[Mitch Booth]

Louise,

Does the dawnsong attract males or females and is it more geared to SY birds or ASY birds?

Mitch

[Louise Chambers]

The ASY males perform it supposedly to bring in SY birds, males may bring females in with them, and that's how the older males benefit. It seems to bring in both age groups and sexes when landlords use the CDs. Cannot say for sure if that differs from results of natural dawnsong.