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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Common Nightingale	African Dusky Flycatcher
Scientific Name	Luscinia megarhynchos	Muscicapa adusta
Order	Passeriformes	Passeriformes
Family	Muscicapidae	Muscicapidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	16.5 cm (6.5 in)	—
Wingspan	25.0 cm (9.8 in)	12.7 cm (5.0 in)
Weight	21.0 g (0.74 oz)	11.25 g (0.40 oz)
Diet	Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in …	--
Clutch Size	4-5	2-4
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Common Nightingale 16.5 cm

African Dusky Flycatcher —

Wingspan

Common Nightingale 25.0 cm

African Dusky Flycatcher 12.7 cm

Weight

Common Nightingale 21.0 g

African Dusky Flycatcher 11.25 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌲 Forest

Common Nightingale only

🏖️ Coastal

African Dusky Flycatcher only

None

Common Nightingale

Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.

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Song & Call Comparison

Common Nightingale

Song

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.

African Dusky Flycatcher

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Geographic Range & Migration

Common Nightingale

Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.

African Dusky Flycatcher

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Common Nightingale

Least Concern

African Dusky Flycatcher

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How to Tell Them Apart

Common Nightingale

Plumage

Plain warm brown upperparts with a rufous-chestnut tail. Pale greyish-white underparts. Unremarkable appearance belies its remarkable voice.

Bill

Thin, pointed, dark brown bill

African Dusky Flycatcher

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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.

African Dusky Flycatcher

The African Dusky Flycatcher weighs about 11g and is found in montane forests of sub-Saharan Africa. It perches quietly on low branches and makes short aerial sallies to catch insects.

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Related Comparisons

Common Nightingale vs Downy Woodpecker

look-alike

European Robin vs Common Nightingale

same-family

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