BTO - Breeding Birds of the Wider Countryside: Nightingale

NIGHTINGALE
Luscinia megarhynchos

Conservation listings

Europe: no SPEC category (concentrated in Europe, conservation status favourable)
UK: amber (25-50% distribution decline)

Long-term trend

UK: probable decline

Distribution maps

Maps and statistics from British and Irish
atlases can be viewed here.

Status summary

Nightingales are scarce birds, and CBC and BBS data are correspondingly sparse. Nevertheless, analysis of the available CBC data shows continuous decline (G.M. Siriwardena, unpubl.). CES suggests a similar pattern, at least until the early 1990s, since when there may have been some recovery. In 1999, the BTO organised a national survey of Nightingales, which showed a marked range contraction since the previous survey in 1980, but an overall population change of only -8% (Wilson et al. 2002; for more information, click here). CES indicates a sharp decline in productivity during the 1980s, perhaps because Nightingale nesting success may be adversely affected by cold and wet springs.

Table of population changes for Nightingale

Source Period
(yrs) Years Plots
(n) Change
(%) Lower
limit Upper
limit Alert Comment

CES adults 18 1984-2002 10 -13 . . Small sample

10 1992-2002 11 44 . . Small sample

5 1997-2002 10 15 . . Small sample

Table of productivity information for Nightingale

Variable	Period (yrs)	Years	Mean annual sample	Trend	Predicted in first year	Predicted in last year	Change	Comment
Percentage juveniles (CES)	18	1984-2002	11	Smoothed trend	542 productivity index	102 productivity index	-82%[>50]	Small sample
Percentage juveniles (CES)	10	1992-2002	13	Smoothed trend	250 productivity index	102 productivity index	-60%[>50]	Small sample
Percentage juveniles (CES)	5	1997-2002	11	Smoothed trend	221 productivity index	102 productivity index	-55%[>50]	Small sample

Insufficient data on clutch size
available for this species

Insufficient data on brood size
available for this species

Insufficient data on nest failure
available for this species

Insufficient data on nestling failure
available for this species

Insufficient data on laying date
available for this species


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This report should be cited as: Baillie, S.R., Marchant, J.H., Crick, H.Q.P., Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Beaven, L.P., Coombes, R.H., Downie, I.S., Freeman, S.N., Joys, A.C., Leech, D.I., Raven, M.J., Robinson, R.A. and Thewlis, R.M. (2005) Breeding Birds in the Wider Countryside: their conservation status 2004. BTO Research Report No. 385. BTO, Thetford. (http://www.bto.org/birdtrends) Pages maintained by Susan Waghorn and Iain Downie: Last updated 18 January, 2006