Those who wake up early or act quickly will be successful and get the best opportunities.
This proverb first appeared in John Ray's 'Collection of English Proverbs' in 1670, though the concept is much older. It draws from the simple observation that birds who hunt for food at dawn, when worms surface in the cool, moist conditions, have the best selection before other birds arrive.
There's actually a counter-proverb: 'the second mouse gets the cheese,' highlighting how being first isn't always advantageous! Ornithologists note that this saying is scientifically accurate - many bird species do their most successful foraging in the early morning hours when insect and worm activity peaks.
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