Last updated on May 18th, 2023 at 09:17 am
Nighttime in Florida is a great time to listen to birds. Many birds sing through the night and even more at dawn and dusk.
A number of these birds also made it on our list of New Jersey Birds That Sing During The Night.
Here are 8 kinds of birds that chirp at night in Florida:
1. Northern Mockingbird
The Northern Mockingbird sings throughout the night, especially during mating season, February to August.
April and May are especially busy months for mating mockingbirds.
Mockingbirds imitate the sounds that they hear, whether it be another bird, a car alarm, or the sound of machinery.
Altogether, they’re able to learn almost 200 different songs.
Mockingbirds are common in the United States despite seeing a 20% decline in population numbers over the past 50 years.
Habitat destruction and domestic cat attacks are two leading causes for the mockingbird population decline, both of which conservationists have begun to address.
2. Eastern Whip-Poor-Will
The Eastern Whip-poor-will is a nocturnal bird that sings loudly when it wakes up at dusk.
It’s difficult to see due to its effective camouflage but can be recognized by its sound, which it was named after.
These birds feed on insects and nest on the ground, and they will protect their nests aggressively when necessary.
The Eastern Whip-poor-will is especially noisy during the spring and summer when the breeding males sing their songs.
Whip-poor-will populations have decreased by 75% in the last 50 years, mostly due to habitat destruction.
Whip-poor-wills rely on forests for cover and have a difficult time surviving in agricultural areas.
Car accidents and declining insect populations have also played a role in the decline of Eastern Whip-poor-will populations.
The American Bird Conservancy’s Migratory Bird Program includes the Eastern Whip-poor-will in its list of birds that need protection due to these and other factors.
3. Yellow-Breasted Chat
The Yellow-breasted Chat has a distinctive song, made from a mix of whistles, chirps, and clucks. See the following clip of a Yellow-breasted Chat singing:
These birds aren’t nocturnal, but they do sing at night, especially during the spring when they’re breeding.
Yellow-breasted Chat birds are more easily heard than seen despite their bright yellow chests.
Yellow-breasted Chats have lost habitat in recent years, resulting in a 37% decline in population size. In some states, these birds are considered endangered or threatened.
4. Barred Owl
The Barred Owl is well known for its “who-cooks-for-you” call, but it can also make a wide range of caws, cackles, hoots, and gurgles.
You can hear these sounds in old forests and swamps with trees, especially in areas of the dense canopy near water sources.
The Barred Owl responds to its sound, so imitating its call is a good way to get one to come out into the open.
However, these birds are wary of predators at night, as the Great Horned Owl hunts them.
Barred Owls are also common users of nesting boxes, especially if it’s put in place before the breeding season.
5. Eastern Screech-Owl
The Eastern Screech-Owl makes several different sounds at night, including trills, barks, hoots, and screeches.
The males sometimes make a whinnying call to protect their territories.
Eastern Screech-Owls are common despite being in decline.
The largest threats to their populations are habitat loss and collisions with glass windows and cars, and ingestion of pesticides.
You’ll find the Eastern Screech-Owl in forests and parks. They camouflage themselves very well, hiding in tree cavities with bark-like plumage.
If you see or hear a swarm of songbirds circling through the treetops, there’s a chance they’ve found an Eastern Screech-Owl and are mobbing the predator to get it to fly away.
6. American Robin
You can hear the American Robin singing at night, even though these birds are diurnal.
This means that they sleep during the night and are awake during the day, but they stay up late and wake up early to sing.
The main reason why robins do this is to avoid competing with city noise. They also get confused by city lights and have a hard time telling day from night.
The robin’s call is a repeated, cheerful chirping sound ending in a trill. Be prepared to hear this sound often during the breeding season, especially in Northern Florida.
It’s common to see the American Robin eating at bird feeders or feeding on earthworms and fruit.
You can also find flocks of robins up in trees, and especially in fruiting trees.
7. Chuck-Will’s-Widow
The Chuck-will’s-widow makes a repetitive, trill-like sound, and it can be heard through the forests. It forages for insects at night and is most active at dusk and dawn.
You can see a Chuck-will’s-widow making leaping dives for moths, beetles, and other insects with its mouth open.
The Chuck-will’s-widow nests on the ground in open areas or on the understory of a forest.
8. Nighthawks
The Common Nighthawk is active both during the day and at night. You can recognize this bird by its white wing slashes and its sharp “beert”-like call.
Their wings also make a considerable amount of noise, especially when a courting male dives from high up in the trees with its wings outspread.
Nighthawks are drawn to insects, and they often spend time around streetlamps. They live in the southern United States.
Tips for Birding at Night
Listening to birds at night is a great way to enrich your birding experience. But before you head out, make sure that you take these tips into account:
- Make sure that you stay in areas you’re familiar with. Don’t venture out on an unfamiliar trail after dark, especially if you haven’t confirmed that the trail is open to visitors after dusk.
- Bring binoculars with night vision technology, like these JStoon Night Vision Binoculars from Amazon.com. That way, you can take a good look at the birds without relying on flashlights. Although flashlights are effective, they can also be disruptive.
- Stay still, and wait for the birds to come to you. You’ll likely have the best luck near a source of water.
- Check eBird for records of bird sightings in the area, and try spots that have had frequent sightings at night.