The common nightingale or simply nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), also known as rufous nightingale, is a small passerine bird best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It belongs to a group of more terrestrial species, often called chats.

DESCRIPTION:
Length: 16-17 cm
Wingspan: 25 cm
Weight: 16-39 g
The Common Nightingale is usually located by its song, before to see the bird, often partially hidden in branches and foliage.
This species has acquired a place in folklore and culture of the countries where it breeds or it crosses when migrating. It is a symbol for poets. The song is considered as a form of poetry and often compared to famous pieces of music.
The Common Nightingale’s voice is the voice of nature, heard both in daylight and darkness. The beautiful notes and melodious phrases make its song remarkable, creative and spontaneous.

Both sexes are similar.
The adult of nominate race has plain warm brown upperparts, shading to rusty-brown on rump and tail. Flight feathers are washed rufous according to the light.
The underparts are pale buffy-white, with breast and flanks washed sandy-buff.

On the head, forecrown, crown and nape are rusty-brown. We can see indistinct pale greyish supercilium. Chin and throat are whitish.
The bill is blackish with pale pinkish base. The eyes are dark brown, surrounded by narrow whitish eyering. Legs and feet are flesh-coloured to brownish.

The juvenile is brownish with buff spotting on body and head. Rump, tail and flight feathers are rusty-brown. Bill, legs and feet are paler than in adults.

HABITAT:
The Common Nightingale frequents open woodland with thickets and dense patches of vegetation along water bodies, and edges of deciduous woodland and pine forest, and borders of dry areas such as garrigue and maquis.

DIET:
The Common Nightingale feeds on invertebrates such as beetles, ants, caterpillars, flies, spiders and earthworms. It also takes seeds and berries in autumn.

REPRODUCTION:
The breeding season varies according to the range, but occurs between late April and mid-July throughout Europe. This species usually produces two broods.
The Common Nightingale’s nest is often placed near the ground, below 50 cm, very well camouflaged among the leaf litter, at base of tussock or low grass. This is an open cup (but occasionally domed), a bulky structure made with dead leaves and grass. The inner part is lined with finer grasses, feathers and hair.

The female lays 4-5 olive-green eggs. Incubation lasts 13-14 days, by female fed by male during this period. The nesting period lasts about 10-12 days, then, the young birds disperse into the cover in the vicinity of the nest. They can fly 3-5 days later. They are fed and cared by both adults for 2-4 weeks more. The male often cares them while the female starts a second clutch.
Arabic: العندليب(هزّار)
Asturian: Reiseñor
Azerbaijani: Cənub bülbülü
Belarusian: sałaviej, салавей
Bulgarian: slavej, славей, Южен славей
Breton: An eostig kuzh, eostig
Catalan: Rossinyol, rossinyol comú
Catalan (Balears): Rossinyol
Montenegrin: mali slavuj
Welsh: eos
Greek: (Κοινό) Αηδόνι, aioni, Αηδόνι
Greek (Cypriot): Αηδόνι
English: Common Nightingale, European Nightingale, Nightingale, Persian nightingale, Rufous Nightingale
English (IOC): Common Nightingale
English (Kenya): Common Nightingale
Esperanto: najtingalo, suda najtingalo
Estonian: Lõunaööbik, lőunaööbik, ööbik
Basque: Rossinyol , urretxindor, Urretxindorra
Persian: بلبل معمولی , بلبل معمولی (هزاردستان)
Faroese: náttargali, Su*th*urnátergali
Friulian: rusignűl, usignűl
Frisian: geal
Irish: filiméala, reiseñor
Gaelic: Spideag
Galician: Rossinyol
Manx: spittag oie
Hebrew: זמיר, זמיר הירדן, זמיר רונן
Croatian: Slavuj
Hungarian: Fülemüle
Armenian: [Haravayin Sokhak ], Հարավային Սոխակ
Georgian: სამხრეთული ბულბული
Kazakh: Оњтүстік бұлбұлы
Kazakh (Transliteration): oñtüstik bulbulı
Korean (Transliteration): zulbaraŋ gurgaldai
Cornish: eos
Scientific: Erithacus megarhynchos megarhynchos
Ladino: roscignol
Macedonian: slavej, славеj, Славеј, славејче
Mongolian (Bichig): ᠵᠣᠯᠪᠣᠷᠠᠩ ᠭᠣᠷᠭᠣᠯᠳᠠᠢ
Moldavian: Privighetoare roșcată
Maltese: Rozinjol, rożinjol
Occitan: rossinhòl
Pinyin: xīnjiāng gē-qú
Portuguese (Portugal): Rouxinol
Romansh: luschaina
Romanian: chirikli-ratiaki, chiriklo-ratiako, privighetoare, Privighetoare roşcată
Sardinian: arrassanajolu, arrissiuolu, beranile, cirulicorda, conchiepara, conchinigheddu, filomena, passirillanti, pilloni de beranu, puzone de riu, rusinzolu, srubiarriu
Scots: spideag
Sindhi: ثچجڄ ډٮم ڃًي ) اَِ ىٍ شٕبن(
Nor


Common Nightingale, Nachtigall, etelänsatakieli, slavík obecný, Sydlig Nattergal, Ruiseñor Común, Rossignol philomèle, Næturgali, Usignolo, サヨナキドリ, Nachtegaal, Sørnattergal, słowik rdzawy, Rouxinol-comum, Южный соловей, slávik obyčajný, sydnäktergal, Соловейко західний, 新疆歌鸲, Bülbül, Luscinia megarhynchos, solovej, rietumu lakstigala, lakštingala, Nuechtegailchen, სამხრეთული ბულბული, ᠵᠣᠯᠪᠣᠷᠠᠩ ᠭᠣᠷᠭᠣᠯᠳᠠᠢ, Оњтүстік бұлбұлы, Reiseñor