Thrush Nightingale

The Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It, and similar small European species, are often called chatss.

It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in forest in Europe and Asia . The distribution is more northerly than the very closely related Nightingale, Luscinia megarhyncos. It nests low in dense bushes. It winters in Africa.

Thrush Nightingale is similar in size to the European Robin. It is plain grey brown above and grey to white below. Its greyer tones and lack of Nightingale’s obvious red tail side patches are the clearest plumage differences from that species. Sexes are similar.

The male’s song is loud, with range of whistles, trills and clicks. It does not have the Nightingale’s loud whistling crescendo.