The nightingale is a small, plain-looking bird with a big voice. Many people think its highly varied, musical songs are beautiful. Sometimes people call other birds with musical songs nightingales. But most often the name refers to the Eurasian nightingale. This songbird is in the same family as thrushes, robins, and bluebirds.

Nightingales live in the woodlands. They prefer low bushes to tall trees. These birds nest throughout much of Europe and western Asia. They fly to warmer central Africa for the winter. The nightingale is about 6.5 inches (17 centimeters) long. It has a brown body, a reddish tail, and a cream-colored belly and chest. Nightingales use their slender bills to eat insects and worms that they find on the ground.

The nightingale’s song is most often heard during spring and early summer. This period is the mating and nesting season. At this time the male may sing at any hour. The female builds a cupshaped nest out of dry leaves, twigs, and grass. She lays four to six eggs, which hatch in about two weeks.