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19

Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) Alternate name(s): "Nightingale", "Rufous Nightingale" German name(s): "Nachtigall" Size: 15-16.5 cm; wing span 23-26 cm Weight: 20-36 g

Europe: Family Group 19 Family Group 19 Table European Robin Common Redstart Black Redstart Bluethroat Whinchat European Stonechat Common Rock Thrush Blue Rock Thrush Common Nightingale Northern Wheatear Isabelline Wheatear Black-eared Wheatear Black Wheatear White-throated Dipper Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description 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.

Taxonomy, classification See Common Nightingale at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species 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 . 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.

Sightings 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.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

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]

Food, Diet

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]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

nitgale_jp_20190412.m4a	(Portugal)	Territorial calls	© JP
nitgale_jp_20190412_2.m4a	(Portugal)	Territorial calls	© JP
nitgale_jp_20190413.m4a	(Portugal)	Territorial calls	© JP
nitgale_jp_20180528.m4a	(Portugal)	Territorial calls	© JP
nitgale_jp_20200531.m4a	(Portugal)	Alarm calls?	© JP
nitgale_jp_20190521.m4a	(Portugal)	Various	© JP

More Common Nightingale sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

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