Roosters are extremely sensitive to light. If a street lamp, a neighbor's porch light, or a car's headlights hit the coop, the rooster’s brain may interpret this as the "first light of dawn." In urban and suburban settings, this is the most common reason for nighttime crowing.
To understand why a rooster might crow at midnight, you must first understand why they crow at all. midnight crowing
If you have multiple roosters, and one wakes up to shift position and accidentally lets out a noise, the others may feel compelled to "answer" to maintain their status, starting a chain reaction in the dark. Roosters are extremely sensitive to light
In certain Appalachian and West Virginian folklore, a rooster crowing during the "wrong" hours of the night was sometimes whispered to be an omen of death within the community. Spiritual and Symbolic Interpretations If you have multiple roosters, and one wakes
This is a controversial but effective tool. A "no-crow" collar is a small Velcro strap placed around the neck. It restricts the amount of air the rooster can expel at once, dampening the volume of the crow.
As the flock's protector, a rooster will crow at midnight if he perceives a threat—such as a predator (fox or raccoon) nearby—or hears unusual noises like footsteps or rustling shrubbery. Folklore and Superstition