Facts About Nightingale

Nightingale is a European songbird, better known for its mellifluous voice and timid nature. This elusive and romantic bird is believed to be the long distant migrant kin of Robin. Basically found in the forests and woodland of Europe and Asia, Nightingale migrates to the African countries during the winter. The night songstress, as the bird is usually referred to, is small in size and brown colored, with red rufous tail. The bird is not easy to find, because of its reticent nature, but it can be heard singing at all times of the day. Its strong and varied song, with high-pitched notes, has been regarded for centuries, throughout Europe and Asia, as the most beautiful of all birdsongs. Nightingales love to feed on fruits, seeds and insects and are the favorite prey of rats, foxes, cats, reptiles like large lizards and snakes and large predatory birds. Read on to explore more interesting facts and amazing information on nightingale.

Facts About Nightingale

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Muscicapidae

Subfamily: Saxicolini

Species: L. Megarhynchos

Group Name: Chats

Length: 15-16.5 cm

Weight: 18-23 gm

Lifespan: 1-3 years

Diet: Omnivore (Fruit, nut, seeds, insects)

Habitat: Open forests and thickets

Gestation Period: 15-20 days

Number of Offspring: 5 to 6

Interesting & Amazing Information On Nightingales

The name nightingale means night songstress. Though the female bird is often accredited with all the singing, in reality, the male nightingale doles out those high-throated mellifluous chirps that we love to hear.
Did you know a nightingale could produce two notes? This extensive repertoire is usually fragmented into “whistle” songs and “non-whistle-songs”
A male nightingale usually stops singing when his eggs are hatched, to avoid attracting unnecessary attention on his nest. However, he does give little chirps to keep his female counterpart aware of their safety or any approaching danger.
Nightingale is usually regarded as an English bird because it is found abundantly in the woods, coppices and gardens of almost all parts of England. Apart from this, it is also a common sight in countries like Spain, Portugal, Persia, Austria, Hungary, Arabia, and Africa.
Nightingale is one bird in which the markings of the male and female are almost same. Therefore, it is very difficult to differentiate between male and female nightingale. Still, there are a few subtle differences. For instance, the upper part of male nightingale is yellowish brown, a little reddish towards the head and the primaries or main feather of the wings are darker. The lower part of the body is marked with grayish-white streak that extends till the tail. The female is smaller in size, but similar in plumage. It does not stand as upright as the male and has a smaller eye as well.
The nightingale didn’t just feature in the legends and stories of Arabian people, it is also the national bird of Iran.
Nightingales tend to prefer low-lying, dense woodland during the spring. In winter, they can be found in dry, bush savanna. They generally feed close to the ground on invertebrates and berries. When not mating, they are usually found alone.
The color of this bird’s egg is deep olive. It usually lays five to six eggs at a time.
The nest of a nightingale is as unique as the bird itself. It usually makes its nest on or near the ground. The nest is made of dead leaves ingeniously put together. It is usually cup shaped, deep, and neatly lined with fibrous roots, but the whole thing is so loosely constructed that even a very slight touch can disturb its beautiful arrangement.

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