Editing Thrush nightingale

{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{speciesbox
| name = Thrush nightingale
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Luscinia luscinia'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T22709691A87882842 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22709691A87882842.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Nightingale of ancient Uglich.JPG
| image_caption = At [[Uglich]], Russia
| genus = Luscinia
| species = luscinia
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758)
| range_map = Luscinia luscinia range map.jpg
| range_map_caption = Distribution of the ''Luscinia luscinia''. Orange: breeding (summer) range, yellow: non-breeding (winter) range.
| synonyms = ''Motacilla luscinia'' {{small|Linnaeus,&nbsp;1758}}
}}

The '''thrush nightingale''' ('''''Luscinia luscinia'''''), also known as the '''sprosser''', is a small [[passerine]] [[bird]] that was formerly classed as a member of the [[Thrush (bird)|thrush]] family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an [[Old World flycatcher]], Muscicapidae.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Sangster | first1 = George | last2 = Alström | first2 = Per | last3 = Forsmark | first3 = Emma | last4 = Olsson | first4 = Urban | year = 2010 | title = Multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of Old World chats and flycatchers reveals extensive paraphyly at family, subfamily and genus level (Aves: Muscicapidae) |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233731328 | format = PDF | journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume = 57 | issue = 1| pages = 380–392 | doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2010.07.008 | pmid=20656044| bibcode = 2010MolPE..57..380S }}</ref> It, and similar small [[Europe]]an species, are often called [[chat (bird)|chats]].

It is a [[bird migration|migratory]] insectivorous species breeding in forests in Europe and the [[Palearctic]] and overwintering in Africa. The distribution is more northerly than the very closely related [[common nightingale]], ''Luscinia megarhynchos'', which it closely resembles in appearance. It nests near the ground in dense undergrowth.

The thrush nightingale is similar in size to the [[European robin]]. It is plain greyish-brown above and white and greyish-brown below. Its greyer tones, giving a cloudy appearance to the underside, and lack of the [[common nightingale]]'s obvious [[rufous]] tail side patches are the clearest plumage differences from that species. Sexes are similar. It has a similar but more powerful song than that of the nightingale.

==Taxonomy==
The thrush nightingale was [[Species description|formally described]] in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist [[Carl Linnaeus]] in the [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|tenth edition]] of his ''[[Systema Naturae]]''. He placed it with the wagtails in the [[genus]] ''[[Motacilla]]'' and coined the [[binomial name]] ''Motacilla luscinia''.<ref>{{cite book | last=Linnaeus | first=Carl | author-link=Carl Linnaeus | year=1758 | title= Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | volume=1 | edition=10th | page=184 | publisher=Laurentii Salvii | location=Holmiae (Stockholm) | language=Latin | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/727091 }}</ref> Linnaeus specied the [[type location (biology)|type location]] as "Europae frondosis" (leafy Europe) but this was restricted to Sweden by German ornithologist [[Ernst Hartert]] in 1910.<ref>{{ cite book | last=Hartert | first=Ernst | author-link=Ernst Hartert | year=1910 | title=Die Vögel der paläarktischen Fauna | volume=1 | language=German | location=Berlin | publisher=R. Friedländer und Sohn | page=736 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14030553 }} Published in sections. For the dates see: {{ cite book | last1=Dickinson | first1=E.C. | author1-link=Edward C. Dickinson | last2=Overstreet | first2=L.K. | last3=Dowsett | first3=R.J. | last4=Bruce | first4=M.D. | year=2011 | title=Priority! The Dating of Scientific Names in Ornithology: a Directory to the literature and its reviewers | location=Northampton, UK | publisher=Aves Press | isbn=978-0-9568611-1-5 | pages=106-107 | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267763194 | ref=none }}</ref><ref>{{ cite book | editor1-last=Mayr | editor1-first=Ernst | editor1-link=Ernst Mayr | editor2-last=Paynter | editor2-first=Raymond A. Jr | year=1964 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=10 | publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology  | location=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=40 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14486229 }}</ref> The thrush nightingale is now one of the four species placed in the [[genus]] ''[[Luscinia]]'' that was introduced by the English naturalist [[Thomas Ignatius Maria Forster|Thomas Forster]] in 1817. The species is considered to be [[monotypic]]: no [[subspecies]] are recognised.<ref name=ioc>{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela C. Rasmussen | date=August 2024 | title=Chats, Old World flycatchers | work=IOC World Bird List Version 14.2 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/chats/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=23 February 2025}}</ref> The genus name and specific epithet are [[Latin]] for the [[common nightingale]] (''Luscinia megarhynchos'').<ref>{{ cite web | last=Jobling | first=James A. | title=luscinia | work=The Key to Scientific Names | url=https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/key-to-scientific-names/search?q=luscinia | publisher=Cornell Lab of Ornithology | access-date=23 February 2025 }}</ref> The common name "Nightingale" is derived from "night", and the [[Old English]] ''galan'', "to sing".<ref name=OED>{{ OED |Nightingale}}</ref><ref name=OEDgale>{{ OED |Gale}}</ref>

==Description==
[[File:Luscinia luscinia -adult and juvenile -2008.jpg|right|thumb|A singing male above and a juvenile below]]
An adult thrush nightingale is about {{convert|16|cm}} long with a wingspan of approximately {{convert|18|cm}}. The head, nape and the whole of the upper parts of the thrush nightingale are dark brown with a slight olive tinge. The colour is much deeper than that of the nightingale and is not at all rufous. The upper [[Covert feather|tail-coverts]] are less olivaceous and the tail feathers are dark rufous-brown. The lores and ear-coverts are brownish-black and the chin and throat are pale buff or whitish, mottled with brown, and are paler in colour than the nightingale. The sides of the throat are spotted brown and the pale feathers of the breast have brown central bands giving the breast a mottled appearance. The under tail-coverts are buff, sometimes barred or marked with brown. The wing feathers and wing-coverts are dark brown and less rufous than the nightingale. The beak, legs and feet are brown and the irises are dark brown. The sexes are similar to each other in appearance and the juveniles are darker and more mottled. There is a single [[Moulting|moult]] in July and August at the end of the breeding season.<ref name=Witherby/>

===Voice===
[[File:Восточный соловей (Luscinia luscinia), Битцевский лес.jpg|thumb|left]]
[[File:Sonogram L luscinia L megarhynchos.png|thumb|The sonograms of [[Luscinia luscinia]] and  [[Luscinia megarhynchos]] singing help to distinguish these two species by voice definitely.]]

The male's {{audio|Luscinia luscinia.ogg|song}} is loud, with a range of whistles, trills and clicks and includes a flute-like "''pioo''" with a pure bell-like tone. It is sometimes interrupted by a rasping "''dserr''" sound and is rather solemn as compared to that of the nightingale. The song does not have that bird's loud whistling crescendo and is quite distinctive. It is also sometimes sung in the bird's winter quarters. The call-note "''whit''" resembles that of the nightingale but is higher pitched and more abrupt.<ref name=Witherby/>

==Distribution and habitat==
The thrush nightingale is a migrant species. It breeds in eastern Europe and the western part of temperate Asia. The northern limit of its summer range extends to [[Denmark]], southern [[Finland]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], the [[Baltic States]], the [[Republic of Karelia]], [[Kostroma]], [[Vologda]], [[Perm, Russia|Perm]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Turkestan]] and [[Altai Mountains|Altai]]. The southern limit extends from [[Austria]] and the [[Czech Republic]], through [[Romania]], [[Bulgaria]], southern [[Russia]], [[Ukraine]], the [[Crimea]] and northern [[Caucasus]]. It overwinters in Africa south of the [[Sahara]].<ref name=Witherby/> It is an occasional visitor to the British Isles.
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?sp=130035 |title= Thrush Nightingale (''Luscinia luscinia'') |work=BirdGuides |access-date=2013-09-07}}</ref>

In its breeding range, the thrush nightingale is found in damp deciduous woodland typically with [[alder]] and [[birch]]. It favours thick undergrowth with [[bramble]]s, dense shrubs and tangled vegetation in swampy places and near water. In its winter quarters it is found in dense patches of thorn bush, especially in valley bottoms near water courses, and sometimes in thick vegetation at the edge of woodland.<ref name=Witherby>{{cite book |title=Handbook of British Birds, Volume 2: Warblers to Owls |editor-last=Witherby |editor-first=H. F. |year=1943 |publisher=H. F. and G. Witherby Ltd. |pages=192–193 }}</ref>

The bird is a host of the [[acanthocephala]]n intestinal parasite ''[[Apororhynchus silesiacus]]''.<ref name="Dimitrova">{{cite journal |last1=Dimitrova |first1=Z. M. |last2=Murai |first2=Éva |last3=Georgiev |first3=Boyko B. |date=1995 |title=The first record in Hungary of ''Apororhynchus silesiacus'' Okulewicz and Maruszewski, 1980 (Acanthocephala), with new data on its morphology |journal=Parasitologia Hungarica |volume=28 |pages=83–88|s2cid=82191853 |url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/820a/8e75a6faeb29b9b11d8c817fb9bd53a39dd3.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191109144123/https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/820a/8e75a6faeb29b9b11d8c817fb9bd53a39dd3.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-11-09 }}</ref>

==Behaviour==
[[File:Luscinia luscinia -Gugny, Biebrza National Park, Poland-8.jpg|thumb|In Poland]]
[[File:Luscinia luscinia MWNH 1794.JPG|thumb|Eggs, Collection [[Museum Wiesbaden]], Germany]]
===Food and feeding===
The thrush nightingale feeds chiefly on the ground taking [[earthworm]]s, [[spider]]s and the adults, [[larva]]e and [[pupa]]e of insects such as [[beetle]]s, small [[moth]]s, [[ant]]s and [[Fly|flies]]. In the autumn, the berries of [[Ribes|currants]] (''Ribes'' spp.) and [[Sambucus|elders]] (''Sambucus'' spp.) are also eaten.<ref name=Witherby/> Before crossing the [[Sahara]] on its migration, thrush nightingales build up their fat reserves. It has been found experimentally that [[Earth's magnetic field|magnetic cues]] may stimulate the birds to do this. A simulation of the magnetic field found in northern Egypt encouraged birds preparing to migrate from Sweden to further build up their body fat.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Fransson, Thord |author2=Jakobsson, Sven |author3=Johansson, Patrik |author4=Kullberg, Cecilia |author5=Lind, Johan |author6=Vallin, Adrian |year=2001 |title=Bird migration: Magnetic cues trigger extensive refuelling |journal=Nature |volume=414 |issue=6859 |pages=35–36 |doi=10.1038/35102115 |pmid=11689932|bibcode=2001Natur.414...35F |s2cid=895903 }}</ref>

===Breeding===
The thrush nightingale breeds in damp forests, nesting on the ground, often in the middle of a bed of [[stinging nettle]]s (''Urtica dioica''). The nest rests on a platform of dead leaves and is composed of dead grass stalks, bents (''[[Agrostis]]'' spp.), sedges and stems, lined with finer material. It is built by the female which lays four or five (occasionally six) eggs. These are a milky-blue colour, usually plain but sometimes with a slight speckling of rusty-brown and measure an average of {{convert|21.7|x|16.2|mm}}. The hen [[Avian incubation|incubates]] the eggs which hatch in about thirteen days. The young are fed by both parents and [[fledge]] when about eleven days old, but are not fully independent for another twelve days or so.<ref name=Witherby/>

==Status==
[[BirdLife International]] estimates that there are between 11 and 20 million thrush nightingales in Europe and that, as Europe forms somewhere between 50% and 74% of the bird's global range, the total world population may be between 15 and 41 million individuals. In Europe, the population seems to be increasing slightly. The bird is considered to be of ''[[Least Concern]]'' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature [[IUCN]].<ref name=BI>{{cite web |url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=6592 |title=Thrush Nightingale: ''Luscinia luscinia'' |author1=Butchart, S. |author2=Ekstrom, J. |work=Species factsheet |publisher=BirdLife International |access-date=2013-09-05}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Luscinia luscinia}}
{{Wikispecies|Luscinia luscinia}}
* [http://www.bsc-eoc.org/avibase/species.jsp?lang=EN&id=DE8598E6C499668D&ts=1221593843963&sec=summary Avibase]{{Dead link|date=October 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* Thrush nightingale - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/609.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds].

{{Taxonbar|from=Q206130}}

[[Category:Luscinia|thrush nightingale]]
[[Category:Birds of Europe]]
[[Category:Birds of Russia]]
[[Category:Wintering birds of Africa]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1758|thrush nightingale]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus|thrush nightingale]]