The nightingale is a small migratory songbird known for its beautiful and melodious song. There are several species of nightingale, but the most famous is the common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos). This species breeds across much of Europe and parts of Asia and migrates to Africa for the winter. But are nightingales found in California?
Quick Answers
The short answer is no, nightingales are not found naturally in California or anywhere else in North America. The common nightingale has a very large range in the Old World, but it does not occur natively in the New World. However, a small introduced population of common nightingales was established in the 1990s in Carmel, California. So while not native, a tiny population of nightingales does exist in one small part of California thanks to human introduction.
Nightingale Range and Distribution
The common nightingale has an extremely large range estimated at about 4,480,000 square kilometers. It breeds across most of Europe and temperate Asia. Its breeding range extends from the United Kingdom east through central Europe, the Mediterranean, and Middle East to western Siberia and China. The northern edge of its range reaches up to Sweden and Finland. To the south, nightingales breed in Africa north of the Sahara and down along the East African coast.
Nightingales prefer dense scrublands and thickets, often along rivers or wetlands. They are found in forests as well. This habitat preference helps explain their widespread distribution across Europe and Asia where these environments are common.
Every winter, nightingales migrate south to sub-Saharan Africa. They fly across the Sahara Desert to spend the winter in tropical regions of West Africa, Central Africa, and East Africa. Nightingales are rarely seen on migration as they travel mainly at night and rest in dense cover during the day.
So in summary, nightingales are common across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia during the breeding season. They winter in Africa south of the Sahara Desert. But they are not naturally found in the Americas.
Range in the Americas
There are no native nightingale populations that occur naturally in North America, Central America, South America, or the Caribbean. The nightingale’s breeding range is limited to the Eastern Hemisphere. It does not cross the Atlantic Ocean to the Western Hemisphere.
However, a tiny introduced population of common nightingales was established in Carmel, California in the 1990s. A small number of nightingales from England were released there. The population persists today, but only in a very small area of California on the Monterey Peninsula.
This is the only known breeding population of nightingales in the Americas. There are no other established populations in California, elsewhere in North America, or farther south in Central or South America. The Carmel nightingales are not native, just an isolated introduced colony.
Nightingales in California
As mentioned above, there is one small non-native population of common nightingales in California. Here are some more details on how they came to live there and their restricted range in the state:
- In the 1990s, a British citizen living in Carmel, California released several nightingales imported from England in his backyard.
- This founder population established itself and bred successfully in the area.
- The birds are confined to a very small area of Carmel on the Monterey Peninsula. Their current range is just a few square miles at most.
- The population was estimated at about 50 birds in the 2000s. Current estimates are unknown but likely similar.
- They breed mainly in dense thickets and bushes around homes in this suburban area.
- These nightingales migrate back to England in the winter rather than to Africa like native nightingales.
- A few birds may wander outside the core area of Carmel, but there is no evidence of range expansion.
- This remains an isolated and localized population resulting from human introduced birds.
So in summary, the only nightingales in California are a tiny non-native population on the Monterey Peninsula, not a naturally occurring species. They were introduced from England and remain confined to a small suburban area of Carmel.
Habitat Suitability in California
If we consider habitat, there are areas of California that seem like they could potentially support nightingales. The Mediterranean climate zones of California, such as in Central California around Monterey and parts of Southern California, provide similar vegetation to Europe where nightingales thrive. The riparian habitats with thick underbrush found across the state also resemble prime nightingale breeding grounds.
However, the fact remains that nightingales are not native to North America at all. Something about the Atlantic Ocean barrier seems to have prevented them from colonizing suitable habitat in California and elsewhere on the continent. Even though parts of California look like they could support nightingales, the birds never naturally dispersed across the ocean to get there in the first place.
The founder population in Carmel, California has demonstrated that the habitat there is suitable for nightingales. This non-native colony has persisted for decades now. Given the similarities between Carmel and other parts of coastal California, it seems possible that nightingales could thrive in other areas if humans introduced them there. But they are not likely to colonize additional areas on their own beyond the established non-native population center.
Conclusion
In summary, nightingales are songbirds of Europe, Asia, and Africa that do not naturally occur anywhere in the Americas. A small introduced colony became established in Carmel, California in the 1990s originating from birds imported from England. This remains the only population in North America.
While the Carmel birds demonstrate parts of California provide suitable habitat, nightingales are not at all native to the state or anywhere else outside their natural Old World range. So in conclusion, nightingales are not naturally found in California despite the existence of a tiny non-native population resulting from human introductions.
