In a zebra finch lab, scientists show the dawn chorus isn’t just a response to sunrise but an internally timed wakefulness held back by darkness. A brief light cue triggers rebound singing—a rapid vocal warm-up that sharpens song quality for high-stakes morning tasks like territory defense and mate attraction. By tweaking sunrise timing and blocking melatonin signals, the study links the hormones to pre-dawn motivation and explains why birds sing with such intensity at first light.

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