Common Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyMuscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats)
- GenusLuscinia (Nightingales and Allies)
- SpeciesLuscinia megarhynchos (Common Nightingale)
About the Common Nightingale
The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), is a small passerine bird which is known for its powerful and beautiful song, often described as one of the most beautiful sounds in nature. An Old World flycatcher, it belongs to a group of more terrestrial species, often called chats. Its range partly overlaps with that of the more northerly thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia), a closely related species with which hybrids have occurred.
The common nightingale belongs to a distinctive group of Old World flycatchers, known as chats, that were formerly thought to be thrushes. Genetic analysis showed that they were in fact types of flycatcher (Muscicapidae), with the resemblance to thrushes being the result of convergent evolution.
"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". Three subspecies are recognised: Western nightingale (L. m. megarhynchos) – western Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor, wintering in tropical Africa
Caucasian nightingale (L. m. africana) – the Caucasus... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Camargue
Bluethroat
Luscinia svecica
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
European Stonechat
Saxicola rubicola
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleuca
Desert Wheatear
Oenanthe deserti
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
Isabelline Wheatear
Oenanthe isabellina
Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
Monticola saxatilis
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Nightingale in Camargue?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Nightingale sighting in Camargue, based on 173 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Nightingale in Camargue?
June has the highest sighting rate for Common Nightingale in Camargue in our monthly data.