What does the Common Nightingale eat?

The Common Nightingale's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Primarily insects and other invertebrates, supplemented with berries and fruits, especially in late summer and autumn.

How it forages

Forages mainly on the ground, often among leaf litter or in dense vegetation. It probes with its bill and gleans insects from foliage. It is generally secretive and shy.

When it feeds

Principally crepuscular and nocturnal, especially during the breeding season, when males sing extensively at night. They also forage and actively during the day.

Explore the Common Nightingale