Common Nightingale
Common NightingaleCommon NightingaleCommon NightingaleCommon Nightingale

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Silhouette: Stephan Sprinz · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
33 Verified sightings at Ngorongoro Conservation Area From 2019 to 2026
8,491 Verified sightings across all 37 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 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 Ngorongoro Conservation Area

Thrush Nightingale
LC

Thrush Nightingale

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Luscinia luscinia

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Capped Wheatear
LC

Capped Wheatear

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oenanthe pileata

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Northern Anteater-Chat
LC

Northern Anteater-Chat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myrmecocichla aethiops

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
White-browed Robin-Chat
LC

White-browed Robin-Chat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cossypha heuglini

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dioptrornis fischeri

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Silverbird
LC

Silverbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Empidornis semipartitus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
African Gray Flycatcher
LC

African Gray Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Bradornis microrhynchus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Stonechat
LC

African Stonechat

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Saxicola torquatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Spotted Morning-Thrush
LC

Spotted Morning-Thrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cichladusa guttata

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
African Dusky Flycatcher
LC

African Dusky Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Muscicapa adusta

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Northern Wheatear
LC

Northern Wheatear

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oenanthe oenanthe

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Abyssinian Wheatear
LC

Abyssinian Wheatear

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Oenanthe lugubris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Common Nightingale in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Nightingale sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Common Nightingale in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?

March has the highest sighting rate for Common Nightingale in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.

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