Nightingales In The Limousin

Scientific Name : Luscinia megarhynchos

Common Names :
English : Nightingale
French : Rossignol
German : Nachtigall
Dutch : Nachtegaal

Appearance : Best known for its rich liquid warbling song heard especially at night but also frequently during the day. Slightly larger than a Robin, the nightingale is a brown non-descript bird with rusty-red tail and rump and paler underpants, usually found skulking in thick scrub and difficult to see.

Distribution : Arrives in Limousin region in mid-April and can be heard singing until end of June. Breeds throughout Europe and winters in sub-Saharan Africa. Occurs in dense thickets, woodland, heath land and hedgerows.

Behaviour : Skulking, feeds on or near the ground in woods and scrub searching for insects. Strictly territorial and monogamous, singing from within dense bushes, notably in the dense scrub to the south of the campsite.

Nesting : Nests on or near ground, nest usually made largely of oak leaves. 4-5 eggs laid in April-June, sometimes double brooded. Incubation takes 13 days, fledging in 11 days. If disturbed near nest, will utter characteristic ‘ croaking’ alarm calls like a frog.

Status : Declining in northern Europe, probably through habitat loss, but very common throughout France, Spain and Italy.