Common Nightingale vs European Bee-eater
Luscinia megarhynchos comparé à Merops apiaster
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Common Nightingale | European Bee-eater |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Luscinia megarhynchos | Merops apiaster |
| Ordre | Passeriformes | Coraciiformes |
| Famille | Muscicapidae | Meropidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 16,5 cm (6.5 in) | 28,0 cm (11.0 in) |
| Envergure | 25,0 cm (9.8 in) | 38,0 cm (15.0 in) |
| Poids | 21,0 g (0.74 oz) | 56,0 g (1.98 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in … | Primarily bees, wasps, and hornets caught in flight. Removes stingers by beating prey against a … |
| Taille de la couvée | 4-5 | 4-10 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Habitats partagés
Aucun(e)
Common Nightingale only
European Bee-eater only
Common Nightingale
Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.
European Bee-eater
Open country with scattered trees, sandy banks, and river cliffs for nesting. Breeds in colonies in tunnels dug into earth banks.
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.
European Bee-eater
A liquid, melodic 'pruik-pruik' or rolling 'prruup-pruup' in flight. Flocks give a distinctive far-carrying bubbling call audible before birds are seen. Considered a pleasant sound.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Nightingale
Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.
European Bee-eater
Southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia. Winters in tropical Africa. A long-distance migrant.
Statut de conservation
Common Nightingale
European Bee-eater
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
European Bee-eater
Richly colored with a chestnut-brown crown and back, golden-yellow scapulars, turquoise-blue underparts, and a black eye stripe. Central tail feathers are elongated.
Long, slender, slightly decurved black 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.
European Bee-eater
The European bee-eater is one of the most colorful birds in Europe, displaying a rainbow palette of chestnut, gold, and turquoise. True to their name, bee-eaters specialize in catching venomous insects, skillfully removing the stinger before consumption. They nest in colonies, excavating tunnel burrows up to two meters into sandy banks.