Rare passage migrant which formerly bred.

South east England is on the northern limit of the Nightingales range in Europe. Since the 1950’s they have been declining in Britain and, since 1970 have declined by 90%, this is due to climatic change, the result of fewer woods being, “coppiced” and the loss of “scrubby” areas. In Hertfordshire, their preferred habitat is old Blackthorn thickets, much of which has been cleared in recent years.

The earliest record for Stevenage is 27 April 1908.

Although described by Sage (1959) as being rare at Stevenage, they were recorded from Watery Grove, where they were particularly numerous in 1957 and, had also been recorded from Whitney Wood.

At Watery Grove they were also recorded in 1967, 1970 and 1971. The Common Bird Census there recorded Nightingales holding between one and two breeding territories annually between 1972 and 1985, with exception of 1981 (although the Hertfordshire Bird Report from that year recorded four males). Breeding was confirmed in 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1980. Their territories were in Blackthorn hedges at the southern corner of the wood and were often heard singing on fine evenings in late spring. Suddenly, in 1986 they ceased to arrive, and were not recorded again until 1993, when a male was heard singing on eleven separate occasions between 4 April and 30 July. Their absence from this site had been following the removal of a favoured bush. They previously showed little or no tendency to colonize the regenerating coppice in the interior of the wood.

Other records prior to 2000 are: Box Wood (six singing males in 1964, an early bird heard on 16 April 1965, four singing males on 24 May 1965, four singing males on 4 May 1966, two on 12 May 1967, three singing males on 23 May 1968, one singing male on 4 May 1969, two singing males in 1970 and one feeding young on 16 June 1970, and, a juvenile bird ringed on 29 August 1979); Martins Wood (two singing males heard on 29 April 1966); Norton Green (two singing males on 12 June 1966 and three including two males during May 1994 with one pair remaining); Whomerley Wood (a male singing between 30 April and 20 May 1997 from a recently “coppiced” area and two on 14 May 1998).

Since 2000 the records are: Chells Manor (single birds on 14 May 2004, 11 May 2010 and 22 and 29 April 2011); Fishers Green (one on 23 April 2011).

The 1973 Breeding Atlas confirmed breeding from two of Stevenage’s tetrads, the 1992 and 2012 Atlases from none.