- Luscinia megarhynchos
Description
Location...Little Paxton
Identification
Breeds in southern England and from Iberia and France east to central Poland, Hungary, the Balkans and Greece, also in the Ukraine, Caucasus and northern Turkey, and parts of the Middle East. Breeds on most larger Mediterranean islands and the coastal strip of North-West Africa. First breeding for Malta was in 1995.
Migratory, leaving breeding areas in late July-early October and passing through the southern half of the Region to winter in sub-Saharan Africa and returning from early April-mid May.
Vagrant to Iceland and Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Subspecies The 3 races found in the Western Palearctic differ slightly in general colour and size with the richer coloured and shorter-winged nominate race in the west becoming gradually paler and longer-winged towards the east where races africana and hafizi occur. Much intergradation occurs and only extreme examples are separable. Race hafizi has been recorded as a vagrant in Britain.
Habitat Found in deciduous woodland, usually around edges or clearings, and especially where coppicing occurs. Also in copses, large gardens and on farmland with hedgerows and orchards, sometimes near water.
Bird Song
<flashmp3>Luscinia megarhynchos (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program
