Dawn moves through three phases, each one represented by different bird species awakening
with their unique songs. A robin warbles first during Astronomical Dawn when the sun is still
18º below the horizon. This is followed by Nautical Dawn (12º below the horizon), heralded by
the song of a chickadee. Finally, a towhee serenades the arrival of Civic Dawn when the sun is
6º below the horizon and objects can be clearly seen. On it goes as other birds jubilantly join The
Dawn Chorus. This lyrical book about songbirds describes the unique voices of eleven common
species. Helpful back matter provides further information on how and why birds sing the way
they do.
