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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	Common Nightingale	Pied Wheatear
Scientific Name	Luscinia megarhynchos	Oenanthe pleschanka
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)	18.6 cm (7.3 in)
Weight	21.0 g (0.74 oz)	19.666666666666668 g (0.69 oz)
Diet	Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in …	--
Clutch Size	4-5	4-6
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

Common Nightingale 16.5 cm

Pied Wheatear —

Wingspan

Common Nightingale 25.0 cm

Pied Wheatear 18.6 cm

Weight

Common Nightingale 21.0 g

Pied Wheatear 19.666666666666668 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

None

Common Nightingale only

🏖️ Coastal 🌲 Forest

Pied Wheatear only

🌾 Grassland

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.

Pied Wheatear

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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.

Pied Wheatear

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

Common Nightingale

Least Concern

Pied Wheatear

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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

Pied Wheatear

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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.

Pied Wheatear

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Related Comparisons

Common Nightingale vs Downy Woodpecker

look-alike

European Robin vs Common Nightingale

same-family

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