How to Care for a Nightingale
The Nightingale is a migratory songbird native to Europe and southwestern Asia, which spends its winters in southern Africa. The male Nightingale is known for his beautiful singing. He is most vocal during the early morning or late evening. Because Nightingales are not domesticated or commonly bred in captivity, it can be hard to find one if you want to keep one as a pet.
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Instructions
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Keep your Nightingale in a spacious cage, at least nine inches wide, 20 inches long, and 12 inches high. Include three perches, and line the roof and the perches with green felt. The roof should be lined as Nightingales do not like direct or strong light, and the perches should be lined as their feet are very delicate.
Nightingales thrive best in larger aviaries which mimic their natural habit, with a sandy floor, small trees and shrubs, and a shallow area for bathing.
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Keep the cage or aviary as clean and dry as possible, and away from drafts, preferably in the warmest part of your home.
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Feed your Nightingale a Nightingale Mixture bird feed, which can be found at pet-supply stores.
You must supplement this mixture with insects and fresh fruit as often as possible, preferably daily. Nightingales are fond of caterpillars and spiders, and meal worms can be fed sparingly. For fruit, try chopping up assorted berries, oranges without the rind, grapes -- and occasionally, bananas.
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Tips & Warnings
You might want to consider canaries, finches, or other small birds more commonly kept in, and better suited for, captivity.
It is not recommended to keep a Nightingale as a pet, as it is not suited to be kept in a cage. Nightingales, like other migratory songbirds, become very depressed and restless during the migratory seasons.
References
- Photo Credit Henry Gan/Photodisc/Getty Images
