Common Nightingale vs European Goldfinch
Luscinia megarhynchos compared with Carduelis carduelis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Nightingale | European Goldfinch |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Luscinia megarhynchos | Carduelis carduelis |
| Order | Passeriformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Muscicapidae | Fringillidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 16.5 cm (6.5 in) | 13.0 cm (5.1 in) |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 23.0 cm (9.1 in) |
| Weight | 21.0 g (0.74 oz) | 16.0 g (0.56 oz) |
| Diet | Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in … | Seeds, especially thistle (Carduus) and teasel seeds, extracted with its precise tweezer-like bill. Also takes … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 4-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Common Nightingale only
None
European Goldfinch only
Common Nightingale
Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.
European Goldfinch
Open woodland, orchards, gardens, parks, and weedy fields with seed-bearing plants. Common at garden bird feeders.
Song & Call Comparison
Common Nightingale
Considered Europe's finest songster: an extraordinarily rich, loud, flute-like melody of bubbling trills, slow whistles, and a distinctive crescendo 'lu-lu-lu'. Sings day and night.
European Goldfinch
A liquid, tinkling 'swit-swit-swit' in flight and a melodic twittering song. Flocks produce a bright jingling chorus. Male song is a sweet repetitive warble incorporating the flight call.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Nightingale
Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.
European Goldfinch
Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Introduced to Australia, New Zealand, and parts of South America.
Conservation Status
Common Nightingale
European Goldfinch
How to Tell Them Apart
Common Nightingale
Plain warm brown upperparts with a rufous-chestnut tail. Pale greyish-white underparts. Unremarkable appearance belies its remarkable voice.
Thin, pointed, dark brown bill
European Goldfinch
Crimson red face with white cheeks and a black crown. Sandy-brown back with a bright yellow wing bar visible in flight. Black and white tail.
Slender, pointed, ivory-pink bill adapted for extracting seeds from thistles
About These Birds
Common Nightingale
The common nightingale is celebrated as one of the finest songsters in the bird world, inspiring poets from Homer to Keats. Males sing complex phrases of over 250 different types, often at night during breeding season. Despite its famous song, the nightingale is a plain-looking bird that skulks in dense vegetation.
European Goldfinch
The European goldfinch is a strikingly beautiful finch whose tinkling song and colorful plumage have made it popular in art and as a caged bird for centuries. It appears frequently in Renaissance paintings as a symbol of the Passion of Christ. Flocks of goldfinches are charmingly called a charm.