20-5-2025 DAMIEL, LA MANCHA - 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

1-5-2021 ADOR CAMPO, VALENCIA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It belongs to a group of more terrestrial species, often called chats.

"Nightingale" is derived from "night" and the Old English galan, "to sing". The genus name Luscinia is Latin for "nightingale" and megarhynchos is from Ancient Greek megas, "great" and rhunkhos "bill".

12-5-2022 CANAL LES FONTS OLIVA, VALENCIA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/13079-Luscinia-megarhynchos

The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae.[2] It belongs to a group of more terrestrial species, often called chats.

25-5-2021 TABLAS DE DAIMIEL, LA MANCHA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/13079-Luscinia-megarhynchos

 It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in forest and scrub in Europe and the Palearctic, and wintering in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is not found naturally in the Americas. The distribution is more southerly than the very closely related thrush nightingale Luscinia luscinia. It nests on or near the ground in dense vegetation. Research in Germany found that favoured breeding habitat of nightingales was defined by a number of geographical factors.

less than 400 m (1,300 ft) above mean sea level

mean air temperature during the growing season above 14 °C (57 °F)

more than 20 days/year on which temperatures exceed 25 °C (77 °F)

annual precipitation less than 750 millimetres (30 in)

aridity index lower than 0.35

no closed canopy

In the U.K., the bird is at the northern limit of its range which has contracted in recent years, placing it on the red list for conservation. Despite local efforts to safeguard its favoured coppice and scrub habitat, numbers fell by 53 percent between 1995 and 2008. A survey conducted by the British Trust for Ornithology in 2012 and 2013 recorded some 3,300 territories, with most of these clustered in a few counties in the southeast of England, notably Kent, Essex, Suffolk, and East and West Sussex.

By contrast, the European breeding population is estimated at between 3.2 and 7 million pairs, giving it green conservation status (least concern.

25-5-2021 TABLAS DE DAIMIEL, LA MANCHA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/13079-Luscinia-megarhynchos

Its song is particularly noticeable at night because few other birds are singing. This is why its name includes "night" in several languages. Only unpaired males sing regularly at night, and nocturnal song probably serves to attract a mate. Singing at dawn, during the hour before sunrise, is assumed to be important in defending the bird's territory. Nightingales sing even more loudly in urban or near-urban environments, in order to overcome the background noise. The most characteristic feature of the song is a loud whistling crescendo that is absent from the song of its close relative, the thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia). It has a frog-like alarm call.

The bird is a host of the acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Apororhynchus silesiacus.

 

4-5-2021 ADOR CAMPO, VALENCIA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/13079-Luscinia-megarhynchos

The nightingale is the national bird of Ukraine. One legend tells how nightingales once only lived in India, when one nightingale visited Ukraine. Hearing sad songs from the people, the nightingale sang its song to cheer them up. The people responded with happy songs, and since then, nightingales have visited Ukraine every spring to hear Ukrainian songs. National poet Taras Shevchenko observed that "even the memory of the nightingale's song makes man happy."
 

16-5-2016 MONTE CORONA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

The nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos ) is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. The song of this secretive bird has been described as one of the most beautiful sounds in nature, inspiring songs, fairy tales, opera, books, and a great deal of poetry.

The Nightingale is plain brown above except for the reddish tail and is buff to white below. The males and females are similar in appearance. The eastern subspecies and the Caucasian subspecies have paler upperparts and a stronger face pattern, including a pale supercilium.

Nightingales are migratory birds that breed in Europe, Asia, and northwest Africa, and winter in sub-Saharan Africa. They inhabit forests, open woodlands with thickets often along water bodies, and shrubland. Nightingales can also be found in suburban gardens and parks.

Nightingales are solitary birds that are active during the day. They are very shy and often hide in thick scrubs or bushes. These birds forage on the ground hopping around searching for food items in the leaf litter or glean on low branches and leaves. Sometimes they may hunt from perch and drop to catch their prey on the ground or pursue insects on the wing. Nightingales sing mainly during the night but can also be heard in the daytime. Their song is loud, with an impressive range of whistles, trills, and gurgles. Only unpaired males sing regularly at night, and nocturnal song probably serves to attract a mate. Singing at dawn, during the hour before sunrise, is assumed to be important in defending the bird's territory. Nightingales sing even more loudly in urban or near-urban environments, in order to overcome the background noise. The most characteristic feature of their song is a loud whistling crescendo. When disturbed nightingales produce a frog-like warning call.

Nightingales feed on invertebrates like flies and beetles.

Breeding occurs between April and June, during which time four to five eggs are laid. The nest is constructed with leaves as well as grass, usually at ground level. Chicks will fledge when they are around 12 days old.

Yes, nightingales arrive in the spring when they come to breed. The nightingale will start its migration back to their wintering grounds from July to September.

8-5-2016 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - COMMON NIGHTINGALE (Luscinia megarhynchos)

It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in forest and scrub in Europe and the Palearctic, and wintering in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is not found naturally in the Americas. The distribution is more southerly than the very closely related thrush nightingale Luscinia luscinia. It nests on or near the ground in dense vegetation. Research in Germany found that favoured breeding habitat of nightingales was defined by a number of geographical factors.

less than 400 m (1,300 ft) above mean sea level

mean air temperature during the growing season above 14 °C (57 °F)

more than 20 days/year on which temperatures exceed 25 °C (77 °F)

annual precipitation less than 750 millimetres (30 in)

aridity index lower than 0.35

no closed canopy

In the U.K., the bird is at the northern limit of its range which has contracted in recent years, placing it on the red list for conservation. Despite local efforts to safeguard its favoured coppice and scrub habitat, numbers fell by 53 percent between 1995 and 2008. A survey conducted by the British Trust for Ornithology in 2012 and 2013 recorded some 3,300 territories, with most of these clustered in a few counties in the southeast of England, notably Kent, Essex, Suffolk, and East and West Sussex.

By contrast, the European breeding population is estimated at between 3.2 and 7 million pairs, giving it green conservation status (least concern.