Common Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos

The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale, 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, a closely related species with which hybrids have occurred. Source
Where it is now
In the last 8 weeks this bird was recorded 1,718 times across 19 areas (each area is a 5 degree square).
See the Common Nightingale on the live map
Movement and weather
Each season it is first heard regularly where daytime highs are around 19°C (typically 14 to 22°C, from 23 areas).
Arrival dates
The week it was first heard regularly in each region, after at least six weeks away. Dates differ from south to north, so a region has a range.
| Region | First arrival | Last arrival | Typical peak | Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 30 March 2026 | 10 August 2026 | 27 April 2026 | 22 |
| Africa | 4 May 2026 | 4 May 2026 | 11 May 2026 | 1 |
Figures are effort corrected and come from automatic sound identification, which makes mistakes. How this is measured and how it compares with human observers.