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Eurasian nightingale
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Eurasian nightingale (Erithacus megarhynchos) A Eurasian nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) perched on a branch with its beak open, singing, against a blurred green background.
Listen: The call of the common nightingale
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Eurasian nightingale

bird
Also known as: Erithacus megarhynchos, Luscinia megarhynchos, common nightingale(Show More)
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Eurasian nightingale (Erithacus megarhynchos)
Eurasian nightingale (Erithacus megarhynchos) Eurasian nightingale (Erithacus megarhynchos).

The Eurasian nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is a small, brown bird, approximately 16 cm (6.5 inches) long, known for its powerful and varied song. This song is often heard day or night from shrubbery. The thrush nightingale (Luscinia) is a closely related species with slightly darker plumage and a song that lacks the crescendo effect of the Eurasian nightingale.1

The term "nightingale" is also applied to other birds with rich songs, including neotropical nightingale thrushes, the Chinese nightingale, and mockingbirds in the West Indies. Nightingale thrushes are New World thrushes known for their drab plumage and rich songs, reminiscent of the European nightingale.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. nightingale
  2. nightingale thrush

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