Scientific name: Luscinia megarhynchos (Brehm, 1831)
Bird group: Thrushes and allies
Field characters. 16.5 cm. Very similar to Thrush Nightingale. Upperparts dark brown, underparts lighter, with chest, flanks and undertail uniformly buff, except for white belly. Eye-ring white. Tail rufous, almost orange like in Common Redstart. Best distinguished from Thrush Nightingale by lack of mottled breast and more contrasting tail. Juvenile spotted and streaked, like juvenile Thrush Nightingale. Like the latter, usually stays in cover and hard to see. In contrast to what name suggests, both nightingales also sing during daylight.
Voice. Calls 'wheet', low 'krrr', 'tack tack'. Song loud, long and melodious, very like Thrush Nightingale, but faster. Lacks Mistle Thrush-like notes of latter and has a characteristic crescendo.
Distribution. Common summer visitor, but locally declining.
Habitat. In deciduous woods, parks, old orchards, hill sides, low mountains, as long as there is enough dense cover of brambles, and scrub mixed with open patches.
Food. Invertebrates, mainly found on or close to the ground or in low bushes. Occasionally flies up to catch insects.