Hobbies And Interests
Europe and Asia
April marks the return of the Nightingales and thus the season for finding a mate and rearing a clutch. May is known as the best time to catch the male singing for a mate; the males can only be heard for about six weeks. The environment of the Nightingale during breeding and nesting season is the underbrush among the forests of Europe and Asia. Nightingales build cupped-shaped nest from twigs and grass close to the ground such as in thickets.
West Africa
Once the clutch reaches maturity and the summer ends, Nightingales begin their leisurely migration towards West Africa in August and arrive between November and February. Their environment in West Africa is among small trees and scrubs, making them prey for dogs, cats, lizards and snakes. As in its summer home, Nightingales feed on insects, fruits and berries. Quite often, flocks of Nightingales inhabit wetter areas that allow for them to be spotted more easily.
Mexico
The Nightingales that inhabit North and Central America have a much less lengthy migration pattern, as they will migrate from both directions to a central non-breeding environment located in the middle of Central America. The environment of the Nightingale is described as secondary growth and heavily disturbed as well as mature forests. Here the Nightingale feeds on worms, insects, fruits, berries and snails.
Conservation Status
While the Nightingale is listed as of least concern on the conservation list, it is a sensitive breed because of its small clutch size of one to three eggs and short lifespan of one to three years. Because of this, many Nightingales may only live to migrate once or twice in their lives. Using artificial calling systems to lure Nightingales to sing actually worry and stress real birds because they all are familiar with each flock-mate's calls. Bird-watching websites offer a wealth of information on how to safely and humanely attract migrating birds.