Common Nightingale vs Hoopoe
Luscinia megarhynchos comparé à Upupa epops
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribut | Common Nightingale | Hoopoe |
|---|---|---|
| Nom scientifique | Luscinia megarhynchos | Upupa epops |
| Ordre | Passeriformes | Bucerotiformes |
| Famille | Muscicapidae | Upupidae |
| 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) | 46,0 cm (18.1 in) |
| Poids | 21,0 g (0.74 oz) | 62,0 g (2.19 oz) |
| Régime alimentaire | Insects and larvae, supplemented with berries in autumn. Forages on or near the ground in … | Insects and larvae probed from the ground, especially beetle grubs, crickets, and caterpillars. Occasionally takes … |
| Taille de la couvée | 4-5 | 2-12 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Common Nightingale
Dense thickets, scrub, and undergrowth in deciduous woodland. Prefers areas with thick ground cover near water.
Hoopoe
Open woodland, orchards, vineyards, parkland, and grassland with bare or sparsely vegetated ground for foraging.
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.
Hoopoe
The eponymous call: a soft, far-carrying 'oop-oop-oop', repeated in triplets or quadruplets. Given from a hidden perch; mellow and flute-like. Contact call is a thin 'cherrr'.
Geographic Range & Migration
Common Nightingale
Breeds in Europe and western Asia. Winters in sub-Saharan Africa. A long-distance migrant crossing the Sahara.
Hoopoe
Europe, Asia, and Africa. Northern populations are migratory. A widespread species across the Old World.
Statut de conservation
Common Nightingale
Hoopoe
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
Hoopoe
Pinkish-brown body with dramatically barred black and white wings and tail. Long, erectile, fan-shaped crest tipped with black. Undulating butterfly-like flight.
Long, thin, slightly decurved bill for probing soil
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.
Hoopoe
The hoopoe is one of the most distinctive birds in the Old World with its striking zebra-patterned wings and extravagant crest. It is the national bird of Israel and features prominently in mythology from ancient Egypt to the Quran. Hoopoe nests produce a foul-smelling secretion that deters predators.