Interrupted breeding in a songbird migrant triggers development of nocturnal locomotor activity.

Long-distance avian migrants, e.g. Eurasian reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), can precisely schedule events of their annual cycle.

Under cover of darkness: nocturnal life of diurnal birds.

Songbirds are generally considered diurnal, although many species show periodic nocturnal activity during migration seasons. From a breeding-range perspective, such migratory species appear to be diurnal because they are observed to nest and feed their young during the day. But are they really exclusively diurnal? The authors tested how a passerine long-distance migrant, the Eurasian reed warbler, schedules movements during the breeding period by tracking birds in 2 experimental situations: 1) Birds experienced simulated nest loss and were monitored during their search for alternative locations, and 2) birds were translocated to reed beds at distances from 2 to 21 km and tracked during homing.