Listen to the common nightingale
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the common nightingale
The common nightingale is a bird in the family Muscicapidae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults have a wingspan of about 24 cm and weigh around 3 g.
What does the common nightingale sound like?
Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round. Listening for both helps with identification.
The recordings here are labelled as song and alarm call. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
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.
Related birds in the genus Luscinia
More from the family Muscicapidae
European robin
Erithacus rubecula
Common redstart
Phoenicurus phoenicurus
Northern wheatear
Oenanthe oenanthe
Black redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
Spotted flycatcher
Muscicapa striata
Blue rock thrush
Monticola solitarius
Red-breasted flycatcher
Ficedula parva
Whinchat
Saxicola rubetra
European pied flycatcher
Ficedula hypoleuca
Common rock thrush
Monticola saxatilis
Frequently asked questions
What does a common nightingale sound like?
You can hear 6 recordings of the common nightingale on this page, including its song and alarm call. Most birds have two kinds of vocalisation: songs, which are learned or innate phrases delivered mainly in spring and summer, and calls – brief contact, alarm and begging notes heard all year round.
Is the common nightingale endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the common nightingale as “least concern”.
What family does the common nightingale belong to?
The common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) belongs to the family Muscicapidae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) (W1CDR0001376 BD18) – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Alarm call · Aljarafe (near Aznalcázar), Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain by Joost van Bruggen – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Mellby, Öland, Sweden by Johan Hasselqvist – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · cycle track near water tower, Ruygenhoek, Meijendel… by Sander Pieterse – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Sérignan, Hérault, Occitanie, France by GESHORS Yann – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Song · Marçay, Vienne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France by Benoît Van Hecke – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q25393 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Common nightingale – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Արարատ Թրվանց – CC BY-SA 4.0