Nightingales are migratory birds that breed in Europe, Asia, and northwest Africa, and winter in sub-Saharan Africa. They inhabit forests, open woodlands with thickets often along water bodies, and shrubland. They can also be found in suburban gardens and parks.

Where are nightingales native to?

The western nightingale resides in Western Europe, North Africa, and Asia Minor for most of the year and then winters in sub-Saharan Africa. The Caucasian nightingale is endemic to a swath of territory between the Caucasus and Iran. During the winter, it travels to East Africa.

Are there nightingales in the UK?

The nightingale is a secretive bird which likes nothing better than hiding in the middle of an impenetrable bush or thicket. In the UK they breed mostly south of the Severn-Wash line and east from Dorset to Kent. The highest densities are found in the south east - Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Kent and Sussex.