Common Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Aves › Passeriformes › Muscicapidae › Luscinia
Conservation status: least_concern
The Common Nightingale is a small, plain brown songbird famous for its extraordinarily rich and powerful song, which it delivers day and night during breeding season with a complexity and volume that belies its modest size. Despite its legendary musical talent, it's often heard rather than seen, as it skulks in dense undergrowth and thickets across Europe and western Asia.
How To Identify
The male is sleek, small, and predominantly dark grey or black with a subtle metallic sheen, while the female exhibits more muted brown tones.
Habitat
The Common Nightingale lives in dense scrub, thickets near water, and woodland edges.
Behaviour
The Common Nightingale is characterized by its skulking behavior and an extraordinarily complex and loud song relative to its size.
Did You Know?
Sings by day AND night; its nocturnal song is strong enough to drown out traffic noise.
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