Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos)
Common Nightingale

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

The Common Nightingale, also known as the Rufous Nightingale or simply Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), is a small passerine bird celebrated for its powerful and enchanting song. This bird, once thought to be a member of the thrush family, is now classified among the Old World flycatchers, Muscicapidae. It is part of a group often referred to as chats, which are more terrestrial in nature.

Identification Tips

The Common Nightingale is slightly larger than the European Robin, measuring approximately 15–16.5 cm in length. It has a plain brown upper body contrasted by a reddish tail, while its underparts range from buff to white. Both sexes appear similar, with the eastern and Caucasian subspecies displaying paler upper parts and a more pronounced facial pattern, including a pale supercilium.

Habitat

Nightingales favor breeding in forests and scrublands within the Palearctic region. They nest on or near the ground amidst dense vegetation, avoiding areas with closed canopies.

Distribution

As migratory birds, nightingales breed across Europe and parts of the Palearctic, journeying to Sub-Saharan Africa to overwinter. Their distribution is more southerly compared to their close relative, the Thrush Nightingale.

Behaviour

The male Common Nightingale is renowned for its nocturnal singing, which is thought to attract a mate. Unpaired males are the most frequent nighttime vocalists. The bird's song is also a territorial anthem, particularly at dawn. In urban areas, nightingales sing more loudly to overcome background noise.

Song & Calls

The male's song is a complex symphony of whistles, trills, and gurgles, noted for its loud, whistling crescendo. The nightingale also emits a frog-like alarm call when disturbed.

Breeding

The Common Nightingale's breeding preferences are influenced by geographical factors such as altitude, temperature, precipitation, and aridity. They are ground nesters, often choosing sites with ample cover.

Similar Species

The Thrush Nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) is very closely related but can be distinguished by the absence of the loud whistling crescendo in its song.

Diet and Feeding

As insectivorous birds, nightingales feed on a variety of insects and their larvae, which they forage for on the ground.

Conservation Status

The Common Nightingale is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, in the UK, the species is on the red list for conservation due to a contracting range and declining numbers. Conversely, the European population is estimated to be between 3.2 and 7 million pairs, indicating a stable status.

Common Nightingale Sounds




Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Common Nightingale Fun Facts

Did you know?
The Common Nightingale is the national bird of Croatia & Iran

Common Nightingales on Birda

Sightings

More Chats, Old World Flycatchers

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
David C
Very knowledgeable group
Nice friendly birding community. Very knowledgeable group with a willingness to help.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Trevarthen1
Birda fan
I really enjoy using Birda, all sightings are recorded and photos can be added. There are monthly challenges which help to get you out to record your sightings. The Birda community are great and are happy to help with unidentified bird sightings. Suitable for all ages and experience!
Anonymous
The best bird logging app
Birda is honestly the best bird logging app I have seen. I love all the features it has from being able to do a session and log all the birds you see in one sitting, to being able to connect with other birders from all over the globe!
Alice J
Awesome Birding Community
I absolutely love the community aspect of this app. The app is so user friendly and has fun interactive challenges to get you out birding. I’ve tried others but since I’ve started using Birda I’ve not gone back!
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.