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Common Nightingale
(Luscinia megarhynchos)
: "Nightingale", "Rufous Nightingale"
German name(s): "Nachtigall"
Size: 15-16.5 cm; wing span 23-26 cm
Weight: 20-36 g
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Common Nightingales are small insectivore birds. Their
plumage is
cryptic.
Common Nightingales have a plain-brown back and a rusty
rump/uppertail. The wings are also brown, with dark-grey
tips to the flight feathers. The front is mostly grey,
except for a sandy-buff breat patch, the bottom of which
is fringed by near-white feathers that are lighter than
the rest of the front. They have inconspicuous off-white
eye-rings and thin grey supercilia that can extend into a
grey fringe around light-brown ear coverts. The irises
are dark. The bill is dark-grey, with a lighter gape.
The legs and feet are grey to pinkish-grey.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Common
Nightingale at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Common Nightingale is available
HERE
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Common Nightingales are a strongly migratory species. Their
breeding range extends from the north-western coastal fringe
of Africa, via southern and central Europe, to south-eastern
Europe, Asia Minor, parts of the Middle East and south-western
Asia (parts of Iraq and Iran).
They spend the northern winters in southern Africa.
In Europe Common Nightingales are found as breeding migrants
almost anywhere to the West of a
line connecting the German Baltic Sea coastline with the mouth
of the River Danube on the Black Sea coastline. Exceptions from
this are: The northern coastal fringe of Iberia, the Bretagne
and the high mountain ranges (Pyrenees, Alps, High Tatras).
They are also present on all Mediterranean islands and in
south-eastern England. The northern edge of their range is
the German North Sea coastline and the area around Hamburg.
Common Nightingales have a strong preference for dense vegetation,
such as shrubs and undergrowth in dense forest or woodland. They
often choose dense vegetation near water for nesting, but they
are also found in drier habitats, as long as there is dense
shrubbery to be found.
Common Nightingales are secretive and more often heard than seen.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
A. Sarok reports spotting a Common Nightingale about
5 km South-east of Temerin, Serbia, in July 2016.
J. Pires reports finding a Common
Nightingale in the Tejo estuary, Portugal, in April 2019.
Another was spotted in Mora, Evora, Portugal, in May 2019.
Others were spotted there in April 2020.
G. Normand found a Common Nightingale
in Bray-Dunes, at the northern tip of Hauts-de-France, France,
in May 2021.
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Photos |
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ADULT |
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Near-frontal view of a singing Common Nightingale;
this is the bird whose song was recorded
on 18 April 2020
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2020]
Near-lateral view of a Common Nightingale
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2020]
Near-lateral view of a singing Common Nightingale;
this is the bird whose song was recorded
on 18 April 2020
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2020]
Lateral view of an adult Common Nightingale
(photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[5 km South-east of Temerin, Serbia, July 2016]
Lateral view of a Common Nightingale foraging for insects
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
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Food, Diet |
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Near-lateral view of a Common Nightingale with its prey,
a small insect
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Common Nightingale with its prey,
a small insect
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Common Nightingale sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
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These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.