Q and songbirds I had a moment of childhood flashback this morning.   We had a singing canary in a cage hanging in our dining room.  There was a shroud that mom would put over the cage in the evening before we went to bed.  In the morning she would remove the 'cover' and the canary would start its morning song. a while back i was outside sitting down pondering when do birds sing...all intense and stuff...my wife came out and sat beside me and after a couple of mins of quiet she says...what's up? so i look at here and ask...when do birds sing...and with only the slightest hesitation she says....when they wake up.... i did the face palm.... seems to fit and sounds right...she got up and gave me that wifey ...you are so dense sometimes look and walked back inside....i just smiled.... love my wife! So I am thinking that when the cover is removed and the light begins shining on the bird, and it wakes up, then the bird begins to sing.