Common Nightingale vs Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Luscinia megarhynchos compared with Archilochus colubris
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Common Nightingale | Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Luscinia megarhynchos | Archilochus colubris |
| Order | Passeriformes | Caprimulgiformes |
| Family | Muscicapidae | Trochilidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 16.5 cm (6.5 in) | 8.5 cm (3.3 in) |
| Wingspan | 25.0 cm (9.8 in) | 11.0 cm (4.3 in) |
| Weight | 21.0 g (0.74 oz) | 3.1 g (0.11 oz) |
| Diet | Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in … | Nectar from tubular flowers, supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Feeds at over … |
| Clutch Size | 4-5 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Common Nightingale
Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Deciduous and mixed forests, woodland edges, gardens, and parks with flowering plants. Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico.
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.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Soft, high-pitched chattering and twittering 'chee-dit'. Also produces a thin 'tik' call in flight. Wing beats create an audible high-pitched humming buzz during hovering.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Nightingale
Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern North America from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast. Winters in Central America and southern Mexico.
Conservation Status
Common Nightingale
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
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
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Metallic green upperparts and greyish-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent ruby-red gorget that appears black in poor light. Females lack the gorget.
Long, straight, thin black bill adapted for probing flowers
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.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. These tiny birds beat their wings about 53 times per second and can fly backwards, sideways, and even briefly upside down. They make an extraordinary non-stop 800 km crossing of the Gulf of Mexico during migration.