Western Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sitta (bird mentioned by Aristotle) neumayer (for Franz Neumayer, an Austrian collector)

Adult Western Rock Nuthatch (Sitta neumayer) in mountains near Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: Sitta neumayer syriaca
Weight: 24-37g  /  Length: 13.5cm  /  Wingspan: 25cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

As the name suggests, the Western Rock Nuthatch takes a more rocky lifestyle than the other species I'd seen to date, being present on exposed mountainsides where they nest and feed among the rocks looking for insects and spiders. A fairly recent split of "Rock Nuthatch" with the other being the Western Rock Nuthatch which is found from Eastern Turkey to Kyrgzstan. Pliny the Elder apparently credited this species as being the one that inspired humanity to build homes of earth in immitation of it's nest.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
SUBSPECIES: S. n. neumayer, S. n. tschitscherini, S. b. plumbea, S. n. syriaca, S. n. rupicola

 - Sighting Locations -

TURKEY  -   Turkish:Kaya sıvacı kuşu ("Rock plasterer bird")
 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - Common in mountains near Side

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Krüper's nuthatch (Sitta krueperi)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology:  Sitta (bird mentioned by Aristotle) krueperi(named for ornithologist Thobald Krüper)

Adult Krüper's nuthatch (Sitta krueperi) near Side, Antalya, Turkey - March 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 10-14g  /  Length: 12.5cm  /  Wingspan: cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A near endemic of Turkey which is primarily tied to the distribution of Turkish pine, although there has been a recent discovery that at least one population may have adapted to Scots Pine in central Turkey.  Other populations are found on Lesbos and also in the Caucasus mountains, and these are again tied largely to Turkish Pine.  Though not considered threatened currently, the face it is tied specifically to one species makes it very vulnerable to habitat loss.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

TURKEY  - Turkish: Küçük sıvacıkuşu ("Little Nuthatch")

 - ANTALYA 2025 TRIP - One bird in the mountains near Side. 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)

OTHER NAMES: Californian Nuthatch
Latin Etymology: Sitta (bird mentioned by Aristotle) pygmaea ("pygmy")

 

Adult Pygmy Nuthatch (subspecies S. p. pygmaea) at Roy's Redwoods, California- September 2022

Featured Subspecies: Sitta pygmaea pygmaea
Weight: 8.5-11g  /  Length: 9-11cm  /  Wingspan: 19cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A tiny species of nuthatch whose range is largely restricted to the US, they are specialists of coniferous forest, feeding on pine seeds and insects. To survive extremes of cold, they have been known to roost communally in groups of over 100 indivuduals to share body heat. 

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
SUBSPECIES: S. p. melanotis, S. p. pygmaea, S. p. leuconucha, S. p. chihuahuae, S. p. brunnescens, S. p. flavinucha, S. p. elii

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Patchily distributed across Western Lower 48
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at Roy's Redwoods and Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sitta (bird mentioned by Aristotle) canadensis ("of Canada") 

Adult Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) at Berkeley, Califonia - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: none - monotypic
Weight: 9-10g  /  Length: 11cm  /  Wingspan: 22cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The most boldy coloured of the nuthatch species I saw in the Bay, the Red-breasted is a widespread species with its breeding range centred in Southern Canada and the Western States of the Lower 48. They are pine-forest specialist although they are regularly irruptive.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Breeds in West, Alaskan Panhandle and North East, Non-beeding elsewhere
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: SeSeen at  Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology: Sitta (bird mentioned by Aristotle) carolinensis ("of Carolina")

Adult White-breasted Nuthatch (subspecies S. c. aculeata) at San Jose, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Sitta carolinensis aculeata
Weight: 20g  /  Length: 15.5cm  /  Wingspan: 20-27cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A common and widespread Nuthatch species of North America, although intriguingly, it's closest relation is the Giant Nuthatch of South East Asia.  It prefers old growth deciduous trees in much of its range, unlike the other nuthatch species which tend to favour pines. They are monogamous when breeding, and set up small territories which they defend together.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
SUBSPECIES: S. c. carolinensis, S. c. nelsoni, S. c. tenuissima, S. c. aculeata, S. c. alexandrae, S. c. lagnae, S. c. oberholseri, S. c. mexicana

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Found throughout most of the lower 48 excepting some more inhospitable regions.
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at  Berkeley and San Jose

 Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

OTHER NAMES: Nuthatch, Wood Nuthatch

Latin Etymology: Sitta (bird mentioned by Aristotle) europaea ("of Europe")

Top: Adult Eurasian Nuthatch (subspecies S. e. clara) at Shiranuka, Hokkaido, Japan - December 2014

Bottom: Adult Eurasian Nuthatch (subspecies S. e. caesia) at Geddington, Northants - April 2012 

Featured Subspecies: Sitta europaea clara AND Sitta europaea caesia

Weight: 17-28g  /  Length: 15cm  /  Wingspan: 27cm

UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List - Least Concern

I have to say I find the nuthatch to be one of the prettier birds in the UK, but unfortunatly it is also fiddly to photograph well. Some people are lucky enough to have them come to their bird tables - unfortunatly despite the fact that they live in nearby woods to me I've never seen one in the garden let alone on the bird table. They can be easily be located by their distinctive call (see the RSPB link) and their orange and blue coloration. Unfortunately they are more flighty than the behaviorally similarly Eurasian Treecreeper and so, as with most woodland birds photographing them requires contending with leaves and branches and poor lighting. If you get them in your garden you'll probably have an easier time.

My single encounter with the Hokkaido subspecies clara was a very different experience.  It's chest is entirely white compared to the orange of the British birds, and it showed very well in associating with some Japanese Tits and Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, coming very close to me on exposed low trunks of trees where I got to look at it at close range.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
Subspecies: S. e. caesia, S. e. hispaniensis, S. e. cisalpina, S. e. levantina, S. e. persica, S. e. caucasica, S. e. rubiginosa, S. e. europaea, S. e. asiatica, S. e. arctica, S. e. baicalensis, S. e. sakhalinensis, S. e. clara, S. e. albifrons, S. e. amurensis, S. e. hondoensis, S. e. roseillia, S. e. bedfordi, S. e. seorsa, S. e. sinensis, S. e. formosana

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Widespread resident (220,000 territories)

 - Birds seen at Geddington and other sites.

JAPAN - Japanese - ゴジュウカラ  /  Gojū-kara ("Fifty Tit")

A fairly common resident.

 - TOKYO/HOKKAIDO 2014 TRIP: A bird seen at close range at Shiranuka.

SPAIN - Spanish - Trepador azul ("Blue Climber")

Scarce and Local Resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: A pair at El Pardo.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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