1:00 A.M. bird call

I'm doing some computer work at one o'clock in the morning and all of a sudden I hear what I'm pretty sure is a mockingbird singing it's heart out in my front yard. It's pitch black out there; not even approaching daylight. Will someone please tell me why this bird is singing and singing in the dead of night? It's the weirdest thing to me. I had to look at the clock and check the time. I thought hours must have passed without me knowing it.

Also, I'm up this late almost every night and haven't hear this bird before.

I appreciate any insight. :-)

I sometimes hear them before light also...maybe it has something to do with mating and nesting season?

But this wasn't right before light... it was at 1:00 a.m... the middle of the night. At least 5 hours before first light. That's what's so puzzling.

Mockingbirds are one of several birds known for night singing. Perhaps more surprising you'd not heard it before!

Singing at night has several advantages:
* There are fewer other noises to drown out the song
* They're not wasting valuable daylight feeding time
* Many songbirds are night migrants, making it a good time to attract a mate, and an important time to defend a territory

Resin

Thanks so much! I'll keep my ears alert more often in the wee hours.

Mockingbirds singing at night is no revelation to those of us who lived before air conditioning and slept with the windows open.:-)