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The Common Nightingale is very similar to the more known Thrush Nightingale but is distinguished by the tinges, especially on the under parts. Both sexes bear similar plumage; the plain dark-brown rufous tinged upper parts; more expressed on upper tail (the Thrush Nightingale has not rufous but olive upper tail; the upper tail and back are same color; the background color is more olive). The tail is reddish. Under parts are dirty creamy-white, some darker on the craw and breast and almost white on the throat and rear part of the abdomen. The legs are dark brown, the beak is dark horn color, and eyes are light brown. Juveniles are mottled. The feathers of the upper parts are brown with the buffy mottles and the dark very narrow terminal tips. The under parts are dirty buffy with the darker narrow terminal tips forming the scaly pattern. Weight - 21-30 grams, wingspan - 85,0-95,0; tail - 85,5 - 90,0 mm.

Biology

The Common Nightingale is common, in places abundant breeding migrant. It inhabits the bush thickets in the riparian forests, foothills and deciduous forests, groves, gardens, forest-belts, small bush patches in the dry low mountains, often near the water, on 1600-2000 m. It lives also in the villages and towns. On migration it visits the thickets of the tall weeds, reed-beds, gardens. Appears in mid-April – early May. Nest is built on the ground or in the bush up to 20 cm above ground; from the dry grass, bast strips and is lined with the thin grass and rootlets. Clutches of 3-5 eggs is found in mid-May – mid-June. Only female incubates for 13-14 days. Both parents feed juveniles fledged in the end of June – mid-August. Probably two broods per season but it is not proved. Repeated breeding after the losing of the first nest is common. The autumn migration starts in August, latest migrants recorded at Chokpak Pass in the end of September.

References

Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. "Птицы Казахстана" том 3. "Наука". Алма-Ата, 1970. Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. А.Ф.Ковшарь "Певчие птицы". Алма-Ата, "Кайнар", 1983.