

Nightingales are 7 inches long with a wingspan of about 8 to 10 inches However, the song also imposes a high cost on the bird, both in terms of energy expenditure and the chances of being recognized by a predator. Approximately half of all birds might not successfully breed at all. Only the healthiest and most aggressive males that produce the best songs will end up securing a mate. The competition for breeding rights is fierce. Non-whistle calls are used for all other types of communication. Whistle calls are used for territorial defense and sexual selection. But the most remarkable feature of these birds is the vast repertoire of songs with which to communicate. Fights can break out, particularly when two males are involved. Instead, this bird maintains a specific territory throughout the non-winter seasons and then guards it aggressively from outside intruders.

These birds have no particular social organization to speak of. The beak is small, flat, and colored yellow. It has a broad tail and black eyes with white rings around the black.

This bird has plain brown plumage with a lighter underside. Males tend to be slightly larger than females on average, but sometimes they actually weigh less than females due to the higher metabolic rates and energy expenditure from singing. This is a relatively small bird, measuring 7 inches long with a wingspan of about 8 to 10 inches. ©Ihor Hvozdetskyi/ Appearance and Behavior Luscinia is the Latin word for the nightingale, while megarhynchos is the combination of two Ancient Greek words: mega, meaning great, and rhunkhos, meaning bill. The genus of Luscinia, which also includes the bluethroat and the white-bellied redstart, once belonged to the wider thrush family, Turdidae, but taxonomists later moved it to the family of Old World flycatchers known by the scientific name of Muscicapidae. A second species, the thrush nightingale (also known as the sprosser), goes by the scientific name of Luscinia luscinia. The scientific name of the rufous or common nightingale is Luscinia megarhynchos. Nightingale birds construct nests in trees from twigs, drive leaves, and grass. See all of our entertaining and insightful animal articles. Cardinal Lifespan: How Long Do Cardinals Live?.Presidential Dogs: The Complete Guide to the First Dogs of The U.S.European Robin vs American Robin: What’s the Difference?.10 Birds That Sing: The Most Beautiful Bird Songs in the World.Its favorite place to nest is the hazel tree. Both species prefer woodlands or shrublands, where they can hide from predators. The other main species of the bird, the thrush nightingale, is endemic to a large stretch of territory between Denmark, Ukraine, and Central Asia, and during the winter, it migrates to southern Africa. Finally, the eastern nightingale is endemic to Central Asia and also winters in East Africa. During the winter, it travels to East Africa. The Caucasian nightingale is endemic to a swath of territory between the Caucasus and Iran. The western nightingale resides in Western Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor for most of the year and then winters in sub-Saharan Africa. There are three recognized subspecies of the common nightingale, each with a different geographical distribution. Nightingale birds are associated with night song, but in reality, only the unpaired males sing at night and then only in the breeding season Nightingale birds are the subject of many artistic works, including the John Keats poem “Ode to a Nightingale,” the Pyotr Tchaikovsky song “The Nightingale,” and the Igor Stravinsky composition “Song of the Nightingale.” The Latin narrative poem Metamorphoses by the writer Ovid featured a character transforming into one of these birds.Older adult males have a 53% larger range than younger adults, but it’s not entirely clear why this is. The common nightingale’s verbal repertoire consists of some 180 to 260 song variations.Nightingale birds are associated with night songs, but in reality, only the unpaired males sing at night and then only in the breeding season.The name nightingale comes from the Old English term that’s been in use for some 1,400 years.15,267 People Couldn't Ace This Quiz Think You Can? Take Our Brand New A-Z-Animals Birds Quiz An Amazing Bird: 4 Nightingale Facts!
