The common nightingale feeds mainly on insects and other small invertebrates, often searched for on the ground and in fallen leaves. It also eats berries seasonally. This is general species biology.
Common nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
Listen to the voice
tcager · Kayakent District, Dagestan
A small, plain brown songbird with a rusty tail and a powerful song. Confirmed in Georgia as a breeding migrant on the 2024 national bird checklist; it does not stay the winter.
Key facts in one look
- Diet
- Insects
- Status in Georgia
- Breeding migrant
- Size
- 15–16.5 cm
- Habitat
- Scrub / woodland edge
- Family
- Muscicapidae
- Conservation
- Least Concern
The common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is a small songbird in the family Muscicapidae. In Georgia it is confirmed as a breeding migrant and a bird of passage. In the non-breeding season, including winter, it usually does not remain in the country. Adults are about 15–16.5 cm long. The plumage is mostly plain brown, with a rustier tail. It is harmless to people. IUCN lists the species as Least Concern. The 2024 Georgian bird checklist also assigns it national LC status.
Identification
Common nightingale: how to identify it
The common nightingale is a mostly plain brown bird, roughly the size of a European robin. One of the best visual marks is the rusty-brown tail. A pale eye-ring is often visible. More than its appearance, its strong and varied song draws attention. In Georgia the common nightingale is a breeding migrant and is not a typical winter bird. It is most often confused with thrush nightingale or European robin.
The common nightingale is about 15–16.5 cm long. In adult birds studied through ringing in the United Kingdom, average mass is about 21 g and often falls around 18–24 g. Those data come from British samples, not from Georgia. The body is compact, the tail relatively broad, and the bill straight. Male and female look very similar.
Adult common nightingales are plain warm brown above, with a paler, whitish or buff underside. One of the most useful visual marks is the rusty-brown tail. A pale eye-ring is often visible. Some field guides describe the Caucasian form as paler above, with a more distinct supercilium, but in the field in Georgia identification to species is more reliable. Young birds are more mottled than adults.
The thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia) is also a confirmed breeding migrant in Georgia. It is usually darker, more mottled on the breast, and less rusty on the tail. Its song is different too: it lacks the loud, rising whistle typical of the common nightingale. The European robin (Erithacus rubecula) is easy to separate by its orange face and breast, and is found in Georgia year-round. Male bluethroats (Luscinia svecica / Cyanecula svecica) have a bright blue throat.
The common nightingale is harmless to people. In Georgia during the warm months, if you hear strong song from scrub and the bird is plain brown with a rusty tail, it may be this species. An orange breast points to European robin, while a bright blue throat points to bluethroat. Do not catch wild birds.
Often confused with
In Georgia the common nightingale is found in the breeding season and on passage, while it usually does not remain in winter. It favours dense scrub, woodland edges, river valleys, gardens, and other places with thick low vegetation. It is often found near water. It nests on or very near the ground in dense cover. This page does not have a full list of Georgian regions or municipalities, so the range map is empty. The species is confirmed at country level, but that does not mean it occurs evenly in every region or every habitat type.
The common nightingale is active by day, but its famous song is often heard at night too. The male sings. The song is loud and varied, with whistles, trills, and gurgling sounds. One characteristic element is a strong, gradually rising whistle. Unpaired males often sing actively at night. After pairing, song is heard more around dawn and evening. The bird often hides in dense scrub, so it is easier to hear than to see. The common nightingale is a long-distance migrant and winters in sub-Saharan Africa. In Georgia it is a breeding migrant and a bird of passage, not a winter visitor. It nests on or near the ground. At species level a clutch is often about 4–5 eggs, and incubation lasts about two weeks.
IUCN lists the common nightingale as Least Concern. The 2024 Georgian bird checklist also gives it national LC status. It is not included in Georgia’s 2014 Red List. In some countries, for example the United Kingdom, the species has a more serious local status and is red-listed because its range has contracted. That does not describe its Georgian status. Do not catch wild common nightingales.
Andreas Eichler · Erlichsee, Oberhausen-Rheinhausen
tcager · Kayakent District, Dagestan
tcager · Buynaksk District, Dagestan
Bernard DUPONT · Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, Catalonia
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Common nightingale.
Yes. The common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is confirmed in Georgia as a breeding migrant and a bird of passage. In the non-breeding season, including winter, it usually does not remain in the country.
In the warm months, look for it in dense scrub, woodland edges, river valleys, and gardens, often near water. It often hides in vegetation, so you are more likely to hear it than see it. Its presence in Georgia is confirmed at country level.
Look for a plain brown back, rusty tail, and pale eye-ring. Male and female look similar. The male’s song is loud and varied, with whistles and trills. A rising whistle is characteristic. Thrush nightingale is usually darker and more mottled on the breast, while European robin has an orange face and breast.
The common nightingale is about 15–16.5 cm long. Adult birds studied through ringing in the United Kingdom average about 21 g. This page does not have a separate full set of Georgian measurements.
It mainly eats insects and other small invertebrates, often searched for on the ground. It also eats berries seasonally. Its diet in Georgia is not studied separately in detail on this page.
In Georgia the common nightingale is found in the breeding season and on passage; it usually does not remain in winter. Exact arrival and departure dates for Georgia are not defined on this page. Song is most active during the breeding season and often continues at night.
Yes. The common nightingale is a confirmed breeding species in Georgia. It nests on or near the ground in dense vegetation. Egg and incubation data on this page come from the species’ wider range, not from nests studied specifically in Georgia.
The common nightingale is harmless to people. IUCN lists it globally as Least Concern, and the 2024 Georgian bird checklist gives it national LC status. It is not included in Georgia’s 2014 Red List. Do not catch wild common nightingales or disturb nesting places.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
