Common Nightingale vs Great Cormorant
Luscinia megarhynchos comparé à Phalacrocorax carbo
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Common Nightingale | Great Cormorant |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Luscinia megarhynchos | Phalacrocorax carbo |
| Ordre | Passeriformes | Suliformes |
| Famille | Muscicapidae | Phalacrocoracidae |
| Statut de conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Longueur | 16,5 cm (6.5 in) | 90,0 cm (35.4 in) |
| Envergure | 25,0 cm (9.8 in) | 145,0 cm (57.1 in) |
| Poids | 21,0 g (0.74 oz) | 2600,0 g (91.71 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in … | Fish caught by diving from the surface. Pursues prey underwater using powerful feet for propulsion. … |
| Taille de la couvée | 4-5 | 1-7 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Common Nightingale
Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.
Great Cormorant
Coasts, estuaries, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. Nests in colonies in trees, on cliffs, or on the ground.
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.
Great Cormorant
Deep, guttural grunts and 'karrr' calls at colonies. Bill-clicking and hissing in threat displays. Silent at sea. Colonial noise can be deafening during the breeding season.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Nightingale
Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.
Great Cormorant
Very wide range across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia. One of the most widespread cormorant species.
Statut de conservation
Common Nightingale
Great Cormorant
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
Great Cormorant
All black with a bronze-green gloss. White throat patch and white thigh patches in breeding season. Yellow-orange face patch around the bill base.
Long, hooked, dark bill with a yellow gape
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.
Great Cormorant
The great cormorant is one of the most widespread seabirds in the world. Unlike most waterbirds, cormorants lack fully waterproof plumage, leading to the iconic pose of standing with wings spread open to dry. In Asia, cormorants have been used by fishermen to catch fish for over a thousand years.