Common Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Silhouette: Stephan Sprinz · PhyloPic
- 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 →
Recent sightings of Common Nightingale in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Northern Wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Rufous-tailed Rock-Thrush
Monticola saxatilis
European Stonechat
Saxicola rubicola
Spotted Flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
European Pied Flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleuca
Common Redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
Blue Rock-Thrush
Monticola solitarius
Western Black-eared Wheatear
Oenanthe hispanica
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Nightingale in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Nightingale sighting in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Nightingale in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Common Nightingale in Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park in our monthly data.