Common Nightingale
Scientific Name: Luscinia megarhynchosMaltese Name: Rozinjol
Family: Chats and Flycatchers (Muscicapidae)
Occurence: Common
Breeds in Malta: No, Bred once
Overview:
The nightingale is slightly larger than the European Robin. It is plain brown above except for the reddish tail. It is buff to white below. Sexes are similar. Nightingales are named so because they frequently sing at night as well as during the day. The song is loud, with an impressive range of whistles, trills and gurgles. It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in forest and scrub in Europe and south-west Asia. The distribution is more southerly than the very closely related Thrush Nightingale Luscinia luscinia. It is very secritive, and nests on the ground within or next to dense bushes. It winters in southern Africa.
Status:
Common Spring and Autumn migrant. Often heard rather than seen. On a good day, large numbers are present in valleys such as Wied il-Luq (Buskett) and Bingemma.
Bred once in 1995 at Buskett. A nest with 4 eggs was found on 6th June 1995 but unfortunatley it suffered some sort of predation, with the nest found empty on 12th June. A 2nd nest was found on the 25th June but again it was predated as broken egg shells of at least 2 eggs were found.
When to See:
Spring; March till May, Autumn; mid-August till late October.
Where to See:
Best places are wooded areas and valleys such as Wied il-Luq/Buskett.
Photographs:
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Nightingale, Ghadira Nature Reserve |
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| Nightingale, Simar Nature Reserve | Nightingale 2nd Nest (empty), Buskett, 25th June 1995 |
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Nightingale 1st Nest (with eggs), Buskett, 6th June 1995 |
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