Common Nightingale

The Common Nightingale is a compact, rather plain songbird, 14–17 centimetres long and weighing 18–23 grams. Its upperparts are brown, its underparts become paler, and its broad tail is conspicuously chestnut. Large black eyes have a narrow white ring. Males and females look similar, although males tend to be slightly larger and have broader wingspans. The modest plumage contrasts with the male's exceptionally varied song, which can contain roughly 180–260 different song types. (Animal Diversity Web, Common Nightingale account)

Common Nightingales occupy dense low thickets and young woodland where cover stands above patches of bare ground. They forage mainly on the ground for beetles, ants, insect larvae, spiders, and worms, adding berries and other fruit in autumn. The species breeds from May into June. Females place nests among twigs in dense shrubs and build them from dried leaves and grass. A clutch contains four or five eggs, incubated by the female for 13–14 days; both parents feed and protect the nestlings. (Animal Diversity Web, Common Nightingale account)