Nightingales are small passerine birds, recognized for their powerful and melodious song. These birds, under the genus Luscinia, were once grouped with the thrush family but are now considered Old World flycatchers, belonging to a subgroup known as chats. Their name, derived from Old English, refers to their tendency to sing during the night. Nightingale Characteristics and Habitat ...
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.
How to identify Nightingales are slightly larger than Robins, with a robust, broad-tailed, rather plain brown appearance. They are secretive birds and extremely local in their distribution in the UK, while in much of southern Europe they are common and more easily seen. They are known for their melodic song, with a fast succession of high, low and rich notes that few other species can match.
10 amazing facts about nightingales and the best places to see them Slightly larger than a robin, the nightingale is well-known for its lilting, beautiful song but can be surprisingly hard to spot. Magazine gift subscriptions - from just £14.99 every 6 issues. Christmas cheer delivered all year!
10 amazing facts about nightingales and the best places to see them
A plain brown bird with a pale eyering and rusty-brown tail, best known for its rich, powerful song which can keep people awake when given at night. In areas of overlap, compare with extremely similar Thrush Nightingale; note present species’ unmarked pale underparts, often with a variable buffy wash, as well as its warmer-toned back and brighter rufous tail. Song is extremely variable, and ...