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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. LXXXI
Field-journal plate: Common Nightingale
The Common Nightingale plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate LXXXI

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Muscicapidae · Taxon 13079

Length14–17 cm
Wingspan20–24 cm
Weight18–23 g

Field marks

  1. Plain warm-brown upperparts and unmarked folded wings
  2. Broad rusty-chestnut tail contrasting with the browner back
  3. Pale buff-to-whitish throat, breast, and belly
  4. Large dark eye with a narrow pale eye-ring
  5. Slim, straight dark bill with a warmer base to the lower mandible
  6. Compact, upright proportions with slender pinkish-brown legs

HabitatDense low scrub, tangled thickets, woodland edges, and young or open woodland with a shaded understory and patches of bare ground; nests are placed on or near the ground within thick vegetation.

BehaviorSecretive and often solitary outside the breeding season, usually remaining low in dense cover and foraging on or near the ground for insects and other invertebrates; berries and other fruit are also taken seasonally. Males deliver a powerful, varied song by day and night during the breeding season and defend territories with song and pursuit.

Palette

warm brownrusty chestnutsandy buffcream whiteblack