Male Blue Tits Cyanistes caeruleus choose early-leafing tree species during spring dawn chorus

Abstract

Capsule Blue Tits sang their dawn song in trees that provided greater concealment. Aims To determine if dawn singing Blue Tits select trees that increase their concealment. Methods We compared the timing of leaf growth initiation in Blue Tit song-post trees to the average timing of leaf growth initiation for other tree species within 25 m of the song-post. Results Most Blue Tits (96%, n = 23) sang from tree species that begin leaf growth earlier than the average tree available within 25 m. If males singing in Hawthorns Crataegus monogyna were excluded, 92% (n = 13) sang from earlier leafing trees. Conclusion Dawn singing Blue Tits select perches that offer greater concealment.