A little night music

摘要

What possesses a robin to sing on a cold winter's night in Wales, while its counterpart in Dublin remains resolutely silent? A plump, brown bird with a red-orange breast, singing boldly from the treetops, hopping around in search of insects as you dig the garden - it can only be a robin. Originally a woodland bird, the robin is now a frequent sight and sound in British parks and gardens. But just because it's familiar doesn't mean we know everything about it. One surprising habit of robins is singing in the middle of the night, even in winter. Walking home after an evening out in Bristol city centre, I've often heard and seen robins singing at two or three o'clock in the morning, usually near a street lamp or other light source. Why do they do this when so many other birds around them stay silent?