The nightingale at Kær Vestermark

If you want to hear the song of the nightingale, nature guide Andreas Hermann recommends a visit to Kær Vestermark.

The nightingale is called a true master of song. The nightingale comes to Denmark in the middle of May, after staying in its winter quarters in tropical East Africa. It likes to land on the nature area Kær Vestermark, where you will find it, among other sites, at the "Det Marine Center" at the very end of Skydebanevej.

The legendary nightingale is known for its beautiful song, but not many know its appearance. Because not only does the nightingale live a very discreet existence hidden in the vegetation, it is also very discreetly colored with a dark brown upper side and a light brown-grey underside. It belongs to the little thrushes and not to the singers. As it sings at night, it is often the only one to shape the soundscape in the breeding area after dark. This makes it easier for the male to attract females.

The nightingale is a long-distance migrant and it arrives to Denmark as one of the last migratory birds. Here it incubates for only 13 days and the chicks are only young for 12 days, then they are ready to leave the nest. When the young have left the nest, they begin to move south through Europe, past the Sahara desert until they arrive at the tropical rainforests of Africa. Here it lives while we have winter in Denmark. Next spring it makes the trip back to Denmark to breed again.

The nightingale is found in bogs and meadows - almost never in forests. It feeds on larvae and insects that it finds on the ground and on the bushes. The nightingale is only 14-16 cm, so you have to look carefully.

I hope you find and experience this amazing little singing tenor.

Have a nice trip!

Andreas Hermann
Nature guide in Sønderborg Municipality