Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Silhouette: Stephan Sprinz · PhyloPic

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 Lake Nakuru National Park

2 Verified sightings at Lake Nakuru 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 Lake Nakuru National Park

Myrmecocichla aethiops

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Cossypha heuglini

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Dioptrornis fischeri

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Oenanthe lugubris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Monticola rufocinereus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Bradornis microrhynchus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Bradornis pallidus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Oenanthe oenanthe

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Cossypha semirufa

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Saxicola rubetra

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Muscicapa striata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Muscicapa adusta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

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 Lake Nakuru National Park

Common Nightingale

About the Common Nightingale

Recent sightings of Common Nightingale in Lake Nakuru National Park

Closest Relatives at Lake Nakuru National Park

Northern Anteater-Chat

White-browed Robin-Chat

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

Abyssinian Wheatear

Little Rock-Thrush

African Gray Flycatcher

Pale Flycatcher

Northern Wheatear

Rüppell's Robin-Chat

Whinchat

Spotted Flycatcher

African Dusky Flycatcher

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found