Nightingale

The Nightingale is a summer visitor to the island arriving early summer and departing late summer and the breeding population is also supplemented by migrating birds just passing through. Throughout the island, it can be found in many locations and varied habitats however certain sites such as the Albufera and S’Albufereta are excellent sites especially in the spring on migration when there appears to be singing males everywhere. Another reliable site is the Can Currassa which holds a few breeding pairs each year as well as breeding Cetti’s Warblers. There is a track at the Son Bosc viewing platform where all the hedges seem to hold a singing Nightingale. With the males singing and Marsh Harriers and Booted Eagles overhead all of this after passing breeding European Bee Eaters on the fences surely a great place.

They are more often heard than seen with their stunning song being famous especially in poetry. In Mallorca, they are more visible than in the UK and if you are patient they will sometimes come out on to telegraph wires to sing whilst courting.

The Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) is found in Northern Europe and Asia during the breeding season nesting low down in scrub or woodland with the nest normally built of dead leaves. They normally have a clutch of four or five eggs which are incubated for two weeks. The youngsters are typically fed for twelve days and it is not long after when they start their journey southwards. They overwinter in the Sahara in Africa with just a few remaining in southern Europe.

Technical description

Nightingales are slightly larger than Robins being 15-16 cm in length and plain brown above with whitish underparts and a reddish tail. It used to be regarded as thrush but is now regarded as part of the chat family. They are typically skulking birds and often you can identify them as they fly into cover by the rufous tail.