Common Nightingale vs Brown-streaked Flycatcher

Luscinia megarhynchos compared with Muscicapa williamsoni

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Common Nightingale Brown-streaked Flycatcher
Scientific Name Luscinia megarhynchos Muscicapa williamsoni
Order Passeriformes Passeriformes
Family Muscicapidae Muscicapidae
Conservation Status Least Concern Not Evaluated
Length 16.5 cm (6.5 in)
Wingspan 25.0 cm (9.8 in)
Weight 21.0 g (0.74 oz) 11.9 g (0.42 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
Brown-streaked Flycatcher
Wingspan
Common Nightingale 25.0 cm
Brown-streaked Flycatcher
Weight
Common Nightingale 21.0 g
Brown-streaked Flycatcher 11.9 g
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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Common Nightingale only

Brown-streaked 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.

Brown-streaked 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.

Brown-streaked Flycatcher

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Common Nightingale

Not Evaluated

Brown-streaked 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

Brown-streaked 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.

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Related Comparisons

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