Everybody knows the dawn chorus is a feature of spring. But some bird species begin territorial singing well before what we would normally think of as spring. Being outdoors in gardens all the time, I expect to hear great tits begin calling frequently from some time in December onwards.
You can (rather occasionally) hear their distinctive, piercing far-carrying calls at any time of the year. Frequent calls however, begin around December, peaking later in spring. They trail off later, as adult birds are busy incubating eggs and feeding young .
No time or energy for grandstanding then.
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