The common nightingale or simply nightingale, also known as rufous nightingale, is a small passerine bird best known for it's powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. Common nightingales are so named because they frequently sing at night as well as during the day. The name has been used for more then 1,000 years.Nightingales sing even more loudly in urban or near-urban environments, in order to overcome the background noise. The most characteristic feature of the song is a loud whistling crescendo, absent from the song of thrush nightingale. It has a frog-like alarm call.