Nightingale photographed at Claire Mare [CLA] on 18/8/2009 Photo: © Jamie Hooper (visit site)

The Nightingale has not been known to breed in the Bailiwick but given its cryptic habits after an initial burst of singing it may well have bred in the first half of this century. Smith makes no mention of this species but a singing bird was recorded in Saints valley in 1894. In the first half of the century singing birds were recorded in April or May in 1921, 1923, 1925, 1928, 1932, 1937 and 1939 (Transactions) and given the frequency of singing birds at this time it may be that some did in fact breed. The latest singing bird was at Le Vallon at the beginning of June and this very late date suggests that this bird was attempting to breed.

In recent times there have been fewer sightings and most records are of birds caught by ringers. In the past twenty years, Nightingales have also been recorded in autumn, records occurring from the beginning of August to the beginning of October. Of the 14 Nightingales ringed in the Bailiwick, 13 have been on Sark and one on Guernsey and incredibly there has been one recovery. The bird ringed at the Grande Mare, Guernsey on 30 August 1983 was controlled by another ringer at Westbury in Wiltshire, England on 18 May 1986, where it was presumably breeding.