Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
FamilyMuscicapidae (Old World Flycatchers, Robins, and Chats)
GenusLuscinia (Nightingales and Allies)
SpeciesLuscinia megarhynchos (Common Nightingale)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Hohe Tauern National Park

1 Verified sightings at Hohe Tauern National Park From 2019 to 2026

8,491 Verified sightings across all 37 parks From 2019 to 2026

🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted at dawn and dusk

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 Hohe Tauern National Park

LC Endemic

Luscinia svecica

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Phoenicurus ochruros

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Oenanthe oenanthe

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Erithacus rubecula

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Muscicapa striata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Saxicola rubetra

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Saxicola rubicola

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Monticola saxatilis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Ficedula hypoleuca

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Corvus corax

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Anthus spinoletta

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~30%
2	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~30%
3	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~30%
4	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	~30%
5	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
6	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
7	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	~20%
8	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~20%
9	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	~10%
10	Sierra Nevada National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
11	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~10%
12	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%
13	Aigüestortes National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
14	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
15	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
16	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
17	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	<5%
18	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
19	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
20	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
21	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
22	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
23	Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
24	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
25	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
26	Picos de Europa National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
27	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
28	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
29	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
30	Hohe Tauern National Park	🇦🇹 Austria	Insufficient data
31	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	Insufficient data
32	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
33	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
34	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
35	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	Insufficient data
36	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
37	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	Insufficient data

← Back to Hohe Tauern National Park

Common Nightingale

About the Common Nightingale

Closest Relatives at Hohe Tauern National Park

Bluethroat

Black Redstart

Northern Wheatear

European Robin

Spotted Flycatcher

Common Redstart

Whinchat

European Stonechat

Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush

European Pied Flycatcher

Common Raven

Water Pipit

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found