Nightingales match the pitch of their rivals in singing duels

Nightingales can adjust the pitch of their whistle songs to precisely match the songs of other nightingales, just as we humans modulate our tone of voice during a conversation.

The common nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos), a migratory bird found in Europe, Asia and Africa, has inspired countless writers and musicians with its melodious songs.

Male nightingales have very large repertoires of up to 150 to 200 different song types, one of which is known as a whistle song. During the mating season, male nightingales …