May 4th marks a very special day in celebrating nature since it is the day that International Bird Day is celebrated. This date marks an approximation as to when most species of birds begin to migrate, and what better day to celebrate this avian species and to promote the conservation of their kind and their habitats. After all, birds are creatures that continue to inspire great art like Picasso’s “Dove of Peace,” Brancusi’s sculpture “Bird in Space,” and even in films like The Nightingale (distributed by World Wide Motion Pictures), where birds take a central role. In this film, one of the main plot lines revolves around a pet nightingale that is being transported to its village of origin by a grandfather and his granddaughter.
For this International Bird Day, let’s commemorate the central protagonist of the film by learning a little bit about the species. Nightingales tend to breed in summer months in warm humid climates, typical of certain European and Asian forests (much like the nightingale in the film, which came from a rainforest in Yanshuo, China). During the winter, nightingales migrate to Africa to find warmer climates, and during the spring they return north to their nesting grounds. This species was given its common name since it could be heard singing during the day and during the night, and it is believed that single males sing during nighttime to attract mates. Nightingales’ diets consists of insects, fruits, nuts, and seeds, and the small birds are predated by animals like rats, foxes, snakes, larger birds, and cats. Because of their preferred habitat of thick rainforests, and because of their small size, nightingales are very difficult to spot, but their song could easily be heard despite the foliage. This May 4th, if you want to see a tale about this species, check out The Nightingale which will be available on VOD and DVD.
