Common Nightingale vs Japanese White-eye
Luscinia megarhynchos compared with Zosterops japonicus
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Nightingale | Japanese White-eye |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Luscinia megarhynchos | Zosterops japonicus |
| Order | Passeriformes | Passeriformes |
| Family | Muscicapidae | Zosteropidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 16.5 cm (6.5 in) | 11.5 cm (4.5 in) |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 17.0 cm (6.7 in) |
| Weight | 21.0 g (0.74 oz) | 11.0 g (0.39 oz) |
| Diet | Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in … | Insects, nectar, and fruit. Active gleaner that flits through foliage and visits flowers. Important pollinator … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 2-6 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Common Nightingale
Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.
Japanese White-eye
Broadleaf evergreen forests, gardens, parks, and suburban areas. Highly adaptable and common in East Asian gardens.
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.
Japanese White-eye
Sweet, high-pitched 'tsee-tsee-tsee' whistle and soft melodic warbling. Flocks produce a continuous tinkling chorus. Alarm is a sharper 'tset'. Song is gentle and rhythmic.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Nightingale
Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.
Japanese White-eye
East Asia including Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands.
Conservation Status
Common Nightingale
Japanese White-eye
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
Japanese White-eye
Olive-green upperparts with a bright white eye-ring. Yellow throat and undertail coverts. Greyish-white belly.
Thin, pointed, slightly decurved dark bill
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.
Japanese White-eye
The Japanese white-eye is a familiar garden bird across East Asia, beloved in Japan where it is called mejiro. These sociable birds form flocks outside the breeding season and are important pollinators of plum and cherry blossoms. Unfortunately, introduced populations in Hawaii have become invasive, competing with native honeycreepers.