Do male and female nightingales sing? The nightingale and its song is often quoted in literature and poetry as a metaphor for love, beauty and for poetry itself. However these frequently refer to the singing nightingale as a female when it is actually the male that sings.

Do nightingales sing?

Nightingales will sing at dawn and dusk but if you are lucky you may even hear them singing during the day as well. ... However, the unassuming nightingale has one of the most powerful, recogniseable and celebrated songs of all birds.

Is nightingale a male or female?

Nightingales are named so because they frequently sing at night as well as during the day. The name has been used for well over 1,000 years, being highly recognizable even in its Anglo-Saxon form - 'nihtingale'. It means 'night songstress'. Early writers assumed the female sang; in fact, it is the male.