White-breasted nuthatch

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White-breasted nuthatch
White-breasted nuthatch (26471).jpg
Adult male S. c. carolinensis in Green-Wood Cemetery, New York, USA
Song of an individual from Wilkes County, North Carolina
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
Species:
S. carolinensis
Binomial name
Sitta carolinensis
Latham, 1790
Sitta carolinensis map.svg
Approximate distribution map
  Year-round
  Nonbreeding

The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring approximately 15.5 cm (6.1 in) in length. Coloration varies somewhat along the species' range, but the upperparts are light blue-gray, with a black crown and nape in males, while females have a dark gray crown. The underparts are whitish, with a reddish tinge on the lower abdomen. Despite not being closely related, the white-breasted nuthatch and the white wagtail are very similar in plumage. [2] The white-breasted nuthatch is a noisy bird. It has a nasal voice and often utters little cries or vocalizations, often composed of repetitions of small invariant whistles. In summer, it is an exclusively insectivorous bird, consuming a wide range of arthropods, but in winter its diet consists mainly of seeds. The nest is located in the cavity of a tree. The clutch consists of five to nine eggs, incubated for two weeks by the female, who is fed by the male. The two adults then feed the young until they fledge, and for a few weeks after that.

The white-breasted nuthatch breeds throughout much of North America, except in the cooler and drier areas. It is mainly found at low elevations, in deciduous forests or in mixed woodlands. Seven to nine subspecies are generally distinguished by their slightly distinct distributions, vocalizations, and coloration. The species was once thought to be related to the white-cheeked nuthatch (S  leucopsis) and Przewalski's nuthatch (S. przewalskii), two species from southern Asia, but is actually more closely related to the giant nuthatch (S. magna), also from Southeast Asia. The species enjoys a very wide distribution and its population is said to be increasing; the International Union for the Conservation of Nature therefore considers it to be of "least concern."

Taxonomy

The nuthatches are a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds which derive their English name from the tendency of some species to wedge large insects or seeds into cracks, and then hack at them with their strong bills. [3] Sitta is derived from sittē, Ancient Greek for nuthatch, [4] and carolinensis means "of Carolina" in Latin. The white-breasted nuthatch was first described by English ornithologist John Latham in his 1790 work, the Index Ornithologicus. [5] German ornithologist Hans Edmund Wolters proposed the division of the genus Sitta into subgenera in 1975–1982. The white-breasted nuthatch is placed in Sitta (Leptositta) (Buturlin, 1916), alongside the white-cheeked nuthatch (S. leucopsis) and Przewalski's nuthatch (S. przewalskii). [6]

Nuthatch taxonomy is complex, with geographically separated species sometimes closely resembling each other. The white-breasted nuthatch has an appearance and contact call similar to those of the white-cheeked nuthatch, of the Himalayas and was formerly considered to be conspecific with it. [7] A study published in 2012 showed that four distinct lineages were genetically isolated from each other and could represent different species, recognizable by morphology and song. [8] A molecular phylogeny published in 2014 and including all main species' lineages within nuthatches concluded that the white-breasted nuthatch was more closely related to the giant nuthatch (S. magna) than to Przewalski's nuthatch, formerly regarded as possibly conspecific with it; Przewalski's nuthatch turned out to be basal in the family. [9]

The simplified cladogram below is based on the phylogenetic analysis of Packert and colleagues (2014): [9]

Przevalski's nuthatch (Sitta przewalskii)

White-cheeked nuthatch (Sitta leucopsis)

Giant nuthatch (Sitta magna)

White-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

Description

S. c. carolinensis in Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada Sitta-carolinensis-001.jpg
S. c. carolinensis in Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada

The white-breasted nuthatch is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring about 15.5 cm (6.1 in) in length. [7] Like other members of its genus, it has a large head, short tail, short wings, a powerful bill and strong feet; it is 13–14 cm (5.1–5.5 in) long, with a wingspan of 20–27 cm (7.9–10.6 in) and a weight of 18–30 g (0.63–1.06 oz). [10]

The adult male of the nominate subspecies, S. c. carolinensis, has pale blue-gray upperparts , a glossy black cap ( crown of the head), and a black band on the upper back. The wing coverts and flight feathers are very dark gray with paler fringes, and the closed wing is pale gray and black, with a thin white wing bar. The face and the underparts are white. The outer tail feathers are black with broad diagonal white bands across the outer three feathers, a feature readily visible in flight. [7]

The female has, on average, a narrower black back band, slightly duller upperparts and buffer underparts than the male. Her cap may be gray, but many females have black caps and cannot be reliably distinguished from the male in the field. In the northeastern United States, at least 10% of females have black caps, but the proportion rises to 40–80% in the Rocky Mountains, Mexico and the southeastern U.S. Juveniles are similar to the adult, but duller plumaged. [7]

Three other, significantly smaller, nuthatches have ranges which overlap that of white-breasted, but none has white plumage completely surrounding the eye. Further distinctions are that the red-breasted nuthatch has a black eye line and reddish underparts, and the brown-headed and pygmy nuthatches each have a brown cap, and a white patch on the nape of the neck. [11]

Geographical variation

The white-breasted nuthatch has nine subspecies, although the differences are small and change gradually across the range. The subspecies are sometimes treated as three groups based on close similarities in morphology, habitat usage, and vocalizations. These groups cover eastern North America, the Great Basin and central Mexico, and the Pacific coastal regions. [11] The subspecies of the western interior have the darkest upperparts, and eastern S. c. carolinensis has the palest back. [7] The eastern form also has a thicker bill and broader dark cap stripe than the interior and Pacific races. The calls of the three groups differ, as described above. [11]

Subspecies [7] RangeAppearance
S. c. carolinensisNominate subspecies, northeast North America west to Saskatchewan and eastern Texas Palest back and cap
S. c. nelsoniRocky Mountains, from northern Montana south to extreme northwest Chihuahua Darker gray upperparts, darker cap, less contrast in wings
S. c. tenuissimaFrom British Columbia through the Cascade Range to southern California Smaller than S. c. nelsoni, with slightly paler upperparts and a more slender bill
S. c. aculeataWestern parts of Washington, Oregon and California, northernmost Baja California.Smaller than S. c. tenuissima, with buffer underparts, slightly paler upperparts and a more slender bill
S. c. alexandraeNorthern Baja CaliforniaLarger than S. c. aculeata, with marginally darker upperparts. The longest-billed race
S. c. lagunaeSouthernmost Baja CaliforniaSmaller than S. c. alexandrae with slightly darker; underparts and more buff. Bill relatively stout
S. c. oberholseriSouthwest Texas and eastern MexicoVery similar to S. c. nelsoni, but upperparts and underparts slightly darker
S. c. mexicanaWestern MexicoDuller than S. c. oberholseri with grayer flanks
S. c. kinneariSouthern Mexico in Guerrero and Oaxaca Smallest subspecies, similar to S. c. mexicana but female has more extensively orange-buff underparts. Short, stout bill

Similar species

Only three other species of nuthatches inhabit North America: the red-breasted nuthatch (S. canadensis), the pygmy nuthatch (S. pygmaea) and the brown-headed nuthatch (S. pusilla), and their distributions overlap with those of the white-breasted nuthatch. They are, however, clearly distinct and much smaller, since they are the smallest nuthatches, measuring 10 centimeters long and weighing around 10 grams. [12] The red-breasted nuthatch has reddish underparts and has a black stripe on the eye. The pygmy nuthatch and the brown-headed nuthatch have a brown crown with a white spot on the nape. [11]

Distribution and habitat

Deciduous woodland is the preferred habitat in the northeast. Treesbyriver.JPG
Deciduous woodland is the preferred habitat in the northeast.

The breeding habitat of the white-breasted nuthatch is woodland across North America, from southern Canada to northern Florida and southern Mexico. In the eastern part of its range, its preferred habitat is old-growth open deciduous or mixed forest, including orchards, parks, suburban gardens and cemeteries; it is found mainly in the lowlands, although it breeds at 1,675 m (5,495 ft) elevation in Tennessee. In the west and Mexico, the white-breasted nuthatch is found in open montane pine-oak woodlands, and nesting occurs at up to 3,200 m (10,500 ft) elevation in Nevada, California and Mexico. [7] Pinyon-juniper and riverside woodlands may be used locally where available. [13] The white-breasted nuthatch is the only North American nuthatch usually found in deciduous trees; red-breasted, pygmy and brown-headed nuthatches prefer pines. [11]

The presence of mature or decaying trees with holes suitable for nesting is essential, and trees such as oak, beech and hickory are favored in the east since they also provide edible seeds. [7] White-breasted nuthatches seldom excavate their own nest holes like red-breasted nuthatches. [14] Although suitable habitat is distributed continentally, it is discontinuous. The separate populations of this non-migratory species have diverged to form distinct regional subspecies. [15]

The white-breasted nuthatch, like most of its genus, is non-migratory, and the adults normally stay in their territory year-round. There may be more noticeable dispersal due to seed failure or high reproductive success in some years, [16] and this species has occurred as a vagrant to Vancouver Island, Santa Cruz Island, and Bermuda. One bird landed on the RMS Queen Mary six hours' sailing east of New York City in October 1963. [7]

Ecology and behavior

The white-breasted nuthatch often travels with small mixed flocks in winter. These flocks are led by titmice and chickadees, with nuthatches and downy woodpeckers as common attendant species. Participants in such flocks are thought to benefit in terms of foraging and predator avoidance. It is likely that the attendant species also access the information carried in the chickadees' calls and reduce their own level of vigilance accordingly. [17]

Breeding

The white-breasted nuthatch is monogamous, and pairs form following a courtship in which the male bows to the female, spreading his tail and drooping his wings while swaying back and forth; he also feeds her morsels of food. [16] The pair establish a territory of 0.1–0.15 km2 (25–37 acres) in woodland, and up to 0.2 km2 (49 acres) in semi-wooded habitats, and then remain together year-round until one partner dies or disappears. [18] The nest cavity is usually a natural hole in a decaying tree, sometimes an old woodpecker nest. [7]

The nest hole is usually 3–12 m (9.8–39.4 ft) high in a tree and is lined with fur, fine grass, and shredded bark. The clutch is 5 to 9 eggs which are creamy-white, speckled with reddish brown, and average 19 mm × 14 mm (0.75 in × 0.55 in) in size. The eggs are incubated by the female for 13 to 14 days prior to hatching, and the altricial chicks fledge in a further 18 to 26 days. [10] Both adults feed the chicks in the nest and for about two weeks after fledging, and the male also feeds the female while she is incubating. Once independent, juveniles leave the adults' territory and either establish their own territory or become "floaters", unpaired birds without territories. It is probably these floaters which are mainly involved in the irregular dispersals of this species. This species of nuthatch roosts in tree holes or behind loose bark when not breeding and has the unusual habit of removing its feces from the roost site in the morning. It usually roosts alone except in very cold weather, when up to 29 birds have been recorded together. [7]

Voice

Rapid cries of an individual from Hennepin County, Minnesota

Like other nuthatches, the white-breasted nuthatch is a noisy bird with a range of vocalizations. The male's mating song is a rapid nasal qui-qui-qui-qui-qui-qui-qui. The contact call between members of a pair, given most frequently in the fall and winter is a thin squeaky nit, uttered up to 30 times a minute. A more distinctive sound is a shrill kri repeated rapidly with mounting anxiety or excitement kri-kri-kri-kri-kri-kri-kri-kri; the Rocky Mountains and Great Basin subspecies have a higher, faster yididitititit call, [7] and Pacific birds a more nasal beeerf. [11]

Feeding

Feeding sequence White-Breasted Nuthatch Lunch.jpg
Feeding sequence
Feeding on suet

The white-breasted nuthatch forages along tree trunks and branches in a similar way to woodpeckers and treecreepers, but does not use its tail for additional support, instead progressing in jerky hops using its strong legs and feet. All nuthatches are distinctive when seeking food because they are able to descend tree trunks head-first and can hang upside-down beneath twigs and branches. [19] [20]

The white-breasted nuthatch is omnivorous, eating insects and seeds. [21] It places large food items such as acorns or hickory nuts in crevices in tree trunks, and then hammers them open with its strong beak; surplus seeds are cached under loose bark or crevices of trees. [16] The diet in winter may be nearly 70% seeds, but in summer it is mainly insects. The insects consumed by the white-breasted nuthatch include caterpillars, ants, and pest species such as pine weevils, oystershell and other scale insects, and jumping plant lice. [18] [22] [23] This bird will occasionally feed on the ground, and readily visits feeding stations for nuts, suet and sunflower seeds, the last of which it often takes away to store. [16] The white-breasted nuthatch was also observed visiting raccoon latrines in order to find seeds. [24]

Predators and parasites

Predators of adult nuthatches include owls and diurnal birds of prey (such as sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks), and nestlings and eggs are eaten by woodpeckers, small squirrels, and climbing snakes such as the western rat snake. The white-breasted nuthatch responds to predators near the nest by flicking its wings while making hn-hn calls. When a bird leaves the nest hole, it wipes around the entrance with a piece of fur or vegetation; this makes it more difficult for a predator to find the nest using its sense of smell. [18] The nuthatch may also smear blister beetles around the entrance to its nest, and it has been suggested that the unpleasant smell from the crushed insects deters squirrels, its chief competitor for natural tree cavities. [25] The estimated average lifespan of the white-breasted nuthatch is two years, [18] but the record is twelve years and nine months. [16]

The white-breasted nuthatch's responses to predators may be linked to a reproductive strategy. A study compared the white-breasted nuthatch with the red-breasted nuthatch in terms of the willingness of males to feed incubating females on the nest when presented with models of predators. The models were of a sharp-shinned hawk, which hunts adult nuthatches, and a house wren, which destroys eggs. [26] The white-breasted nuthatch is shorter-lived than the red-breasted nuthatch, but has more young, and was found to respond more strongly to the egg predator, whereas the red-breasted showed greater concern with the hawk. This supports the theory that longer-lived species benefit from adult survival and future breeding opportunities, while birds with shorter life spans place more value on the survival of their larger broods. [26]

The white-breasted nuthatch can be a host for certain parasites such as the protists Leucocytozoon or Trypanosoma . [27] The white-breasted nuthatch is the typical host of another protist species, Haemoproteus sittae . [28] Trematodes, such as Collyriclum faba , have also been recorded in this species. [29] The white-breasted nuthatch can also be the target of hematophagous flies of the family Hippoboscidae, such as Ornithoica confluenta and Ornithomya anchineuria [30] [31] [32] or of certain mites, such as Knemidokoptes jamaicensis , which produces scabies. [33]

Conservation status

Bird feeders provide a supplementary source of food. White-breasted nuthatch (31195).jpg
Bird feeders provide a supplementary source of food.

The white-breasted nuthatch is a common species with a large range, estimated at 8,600,000 km2 (3,300,000 sq mi). Its total population is estimated at 10 million individuals, and there is evidence of an overall population increase, so it is not believed to approach either the size criterion (fewer than 10,000 mature individuals) or the population decline criterion (declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations) of the IUCN Red List. For these reasons, the species is evaluated as least concern by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. [1]

The removal of dead trees from forests may cause problems locally for this species because it requires cavity sites for nesting; declines have been noted in Washington state, Florida, and more widely in the southeastern U.S. west to Texas. In contrast, the breeding range is expanding in Alberta, and numbers are increasing in the northeast due to regrown forest. [7] [34] [35] The white-breasted nuthatch is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, to which the three countries in which it occurs (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) are all signatories. [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuthatch</span> Genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds from the Northern Hemisphere

The nuthatches constitute a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. Characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs. Most species exhibit grey or bluish upperparts and a black eye stripe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurasian nuthatch</span> Small passerine bird species

The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch is a small passerine bird found throughout the Palearctic and in Europe. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-gray upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the east have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beautiful nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The beautiful nuthatch is a bird species in the family Sittidae, collectively known as nuthatches. It is a large nuthatch, measuring 16.5 cm (6.5 in) in length, that is not sexually dimorphic. Its coloration and markings are dramatic, the upper parts being black and azure, streaked with white and pale blue on the head and lined with the same colors on the wing feathers. The underparts are orange, and the eyebrow and throat are ochre. An irregular, dark eyestripe highlights its eye. S. formosa's ecology is not fully described, but it is known to feed on small insects and larvae found on the trunks and epiphyte-covered branches of trees in its range. Reproduction takes place from April to May; the nest is placed in the hole of an oak, rhododendron, or other large tree. The nest is made of plant material and fur in which the bird typically lays four to six eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-breasted nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The red-breasted nuthatch is a small songbird. The adult has blue-grey upperparts with cinnamon underparts, a white throat and face with a black stripe through the eyes, a straight grey bill and a black crown. Its call, which has been likened to a tin trumpet, is high-pitched and nasal. It breeds in coniferous forests across Canada, Alaska and the northeastern and western United States. Though often a permanent resident, it regularly irrupts further south if its food supply fails. There are records of vagrants occurring as far south as the Gulf Coast and northern Mexico. It forages on the trunks and large branches of trees, often descending head first, sometimes catching insects in flight. It eats mainly insects and seeds, especially from conifers. It excavates its nest in dead wood, often close to the ground, smearing the entrance with pitch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Velvet-fronted nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The velvet-fronted nuthatch is a small passerine bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae found in southern Asia from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka ‍and Bangladesh east to south China and Indonesia. Like other nuthatches, it feeds on insects in the bark of trees, foraging on the trunks and branches and their strongly clawed toes allow them to climb down tree trunks or move on the undersides of horizontal branches. They are found in forests with good tree cover and are often found along with other species in mixed-species foraging flocks. Adult males can be told apart by the black stripe that runs behind and above the eyes. They have a rapid chipping call note. They breed in tree cavities and holes, often created by woodpeckers or barbets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corsican nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The Corsican nuthatch is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is a relatively small nuthatch, measuring about 12 cm (4.7 in) in overall length. The upperparts are bluish gray, the underparts grayish white. The male is distinguished from the female by its entirely black crown. The species is sedentary, territorial and not very shy. It often feeds high in Corsican pines, consuming mainly pine nuts, but also catching some flying insects. The breeding season takes place between April and May; the nest is placed in the trunk of an old pine, and the clutch has five to six eggs. The young fledge 22 to 24 days after hatching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algerian nuthatch</span> Species of bird endemic to Algeria

The Algerian nuthatch or Kabyle nuthatch, is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring between 11.5 cm (4.5 in) and 12.5 cm (4.9 in). The upperparts are bluish gray. The male can be distinguished from the female by the black front of its crown. The species is sedentary; it feeds on arthropods in summer and on seeds in winter. The breeding season takes place around May–June. The nest, built in a hole of tree, shelters a laying of three or four eggs, brooded by the female. The chicks are fed by both parents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western rock nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The western rock nuthatch is a small passerine bird which breeds from Croatia east through Greece and Turkey to Iran. This nuthatch is largely resident apart from some post-breeding dispersal. The eastern rock nuthatch Sitta tephronota is a separate species, which occurs further east in south-central Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmy nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The pygmy nuthatch is a tiny songbird, about 10 cm (4 in) long and about 10 grams in weight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown-headed nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The brown-headed nuthatch is a small songbird endemic to pine forests throughout the Southeastern United States. Genetic analyses indicated low differentiation between northern and southern populations in Florida, but the study also found lower genetic diversity among south Florida populations that may be a result of the increased habitat fragmentation that was documented. The Bahama nuthatch was formerly considered a subspecies (S. p. insularis), has since been reclassified as its own separate species. Two recent studies assessing vocalizations in Bahama and continental nuthatch populations found important differences. One of the studies also demonstrated that continental and Bahama populations did not respond aggressively to calls of the other population. This type of call-response study is often used to help define cryptic species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Krüper's nuthatch</span> Species of bird

Krüper's nuthatch is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It is a small to medium-sized nuthatch, measuring 12.5 centimetres (4.9 in) in length. The upperparts are blue-gray, with the front half of the crown black in adults of both sexes, but with a less marked in the female rear. The species has a black or gray eyestripe and a prominent white supercilium. The underparts are blue-gray in males and buff-gray in females, with a large, crescent-shaped rufous pectoral patch. The Krüper's nuthatch feeds on insects in the summer and seeds, especially pines, in the fall and winter. Breeding takes place between March and May, and the nest is usually placed in a tree hole. The clutch consists of five to seven eggs, incubated by the female and fed by the male. Both parents take part in feeding the young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue nuthatch</span> Species of small passerine bird

The blue nuthatch is a bird species in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring 13.5 cm (5.3 in) in length. The species, which shows slight sexual dimorphism, has dramatic coloration unlike any other member of its genus. Its head is black or blackish-blue dark blue upperparts close to purple with azure feathers. The wings are edged with black. The throat and chest are white or a washed buff color, contrasting with the upperparts and the belly of a very dark blue; the covert feathers are generally clear, blue-gray or purplish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chestnut-vented nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The chestnut-vented nuthatch is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring 12.5–14 cm (4.9–5.5 in) in length. The upperparts are a solid gray blue, with a markedly black loral stripe. The underparts are uniform gray to buff from the throat to belly, with brick red on the flanks. The undertail is white with a rufous border. The chestnut-vented nuthatch utters different kinds of calls, which can sometimes sound like a troglodyte alarm, and its song is a monotonous, stereotypical crackle, typically chichichichi. Its ecology is poorly known, but it probably feeds on small arthropods and seeds, and the breeding season begins between March and May. The nest is typically located in a hole in the trunk of a tree, and the clutch has two to five eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-browed nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The white-browed nuthatch, also known as the Victoria nuthatch, is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It is a small nuthatch, measuring 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in length and without sexual dimorphism. Like many other nuthatches, the upperparts are gray-blue, contrasting with white underparts on the throat, cheeks, and breast and orange on the flanks, belly, and lower abdomen. Its white supercilium makes it easy to distinguish it from the white-tailed nuthatch, which is a close species in the systematic and geographical sense. Little is known about its ecology, but it feeds on small insects found among bark and lichens, and breeding occurs around April.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The Chinese nuthatch or snowy-browed nuthatch is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It is a small nuthatch, measuring 11.5 cm (4.5 in) in length. The upperparts are blue-gray and the underparts from a dull buff-grayish to a cinnamon-orange; the cheeks are white. There is a marked sexual dimorphism: the adult male is distinguished by its very black crown, while that of the female is the same blue-grey as the back, or at most dark gray when the plumage is worn. In both sexes, a dark gray eyestripe extends in front of and behind the eye, topped by a clear white supercilium separating it from the crown. The song is variable, and composed of repetitions of small invariant whistles. The species feeds mainly on insects in summer and completes its diet with seeds and fruits. The nest is generally placed in the hole of a conifer. The pairs raises one brood per year, with five or six chicks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yunnan nuthatch</span> Species of nuthatch endemic to China

The Yunnan nuthatch is a bird species in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It was first described by William Robert Ogilvie-Grant in 1900 based on a male holotype. It is a small nuthatch, measuring 12 centimetres (4.7 in) in length on average and weighs between 7.5 and 13 grams. The grey-blue upperparts contrast with the light, smooth, buffy lowerparts. It has a fine white eyebrow above a black eyestripe, which is distinct when the plumage is fresh, and exhibits a small degree of sexual dimorphism. A noisy bird, it produces simple, nasal sounds, sometimes in repetitive series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The Siberian nuthatch is a bird species of the family Sittidae. For a long time considered as a subspecies of the Eurasian nuthatch, it was clearly differentiated in 2006 on the basis of morphological and molecular characters. It is on average larger than the Eurasian nuthatch and also differs in some morphological features such as the shape of its bill, the size of its claws and the color of its underwing and outer rectrices. Its song has also been described as "distinctly different" from that of the Eurasian nuthatch, though without further clarification.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Przevalski's nuthatch</span> Small passerine bird endemic to southeastern Tibet and west central China

Przevalski's nuthatch, originally given the nomen nudumSitta eckloni, is a bird species in the family Sittidae, collectively known as nuthatches. Long regarded as a subspecies of the white-cheeked nuthatch, it nevertheless differs significantly in morphology and vocalizations. Both S. przewalskii and S. leucopsis have been regarded as closely related to the North American white-breasted nuthatch. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring about 13 cm (5 in) in length. Its upper body is a dark gray-blue or slate color, becoming dark blue-black at the crown. The cheeks and throat are a white buff-orange, turning to a rich cinnamon on the underparts that intensifies in color on the sides of the breast. Vocalizations consist of alternating series of ascending whistles and short notes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant nuthatch</span> Species of bird

The giant nuthatch is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It is the largest of the nuthatches, measuring 19.5 cm (7.7 in) in length. Its upperparts are bluish gray, with the front being light gray, contrasting with the darker rest of the back. The bird has two very thick black eyebrow lines and light gray underparts, with whitish cheeks and throat, and a belly more or less washed with buff and cinnamon. For a nuthatch, it has a long beak and tail. The female can be distinguished from the male by its duller eye features and its upperparts having less contrast between the crown, nape, and lower back. The calls are powerful and made up of repetitions of simple patterns. The species gleans its food from the trunks and branches of trees, especially pines, and feeds on insects and berries. It nests around March, in the hole of a tree and without masking the entrance, and the nest has about three young.

References

  1. 1 2 BirdLife International (2016). "Sitta carolinensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22711202A94283783. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22711202A94283783.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
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  5. ↑ Latham, John (1790). Index Ornithologicus, sive Systema ornithologiae (in Latin). Vol. 1. London: Leigh & Sotheby. p. 262.
  6. ↑ Matthysen, Erik (2010). The Nuthatches. London: A & C Black. p. 269-270. ISBN   978-1-4081-2870-1. OCLC   727646681.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Harrap, Simon; Quinn, David (1996). Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers. Christopher Helm. pp. 150–155. ISBN   0-7136-3964-4.
  8. ↑ Walström, V Woody; Spellman, John (2012). "Speciation in the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis): a multilocus perspective". Molecular Ecology. 21 (4): 907–920. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05384.x. PMID   22192449. S2CID   8775100.
  9. 1 2 Pasquet, Éric; Barker, F Keith; Martens, Jochen; Tillier, Annie; Cruaud, Corinne & Cibois, Alice (April 2014). "Evolution within the nuthatches (Sittidae: Aves, Passeriformes): molecular phylogeny, biogeography, and ecological perspectives". Journal of Ornithology. 155 (3): 755. doi:10.1007/s10336-014-1063-7. S2CID   17637707.
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  14. ↑ "All About Birds - White-breasted Nuthatch Life History - Nesting". Cornell Lab of Ornithology . Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  15. ↑ Spellman, Garth M; Klicka, John (April 2007). "Phylogeography of the white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis): diversification in North American pine and oak woodlands". Molecular Ecology. 16 (8): 1729–1740. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03237.x. PMID   17402986. S2CID   25041554.
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  18. 1 2 3 4 5 Pravosudov, Vladimir V.; Grubb. Thomas C. (1993) White-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) in Poole, A.; Gill, F. (eds) The Birds of North America, volume 54. Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union. 1–16
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  26. 1 2 Ghalambor, Cameron K.; Martin, Thomas E. (August 2000). "Parental investment strategies in two species of nuthatch vary with stage-specific predation risk and reproductive effort" (PDF). Animal Behaviour. 60 (2): 263–267. doi:10.1006/anbe.2000.1472. PMID   10973729. S2CID   13165711.
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  29. ↑ Farner, DS; Morgan, BB (July 1944). "Occurrence and distribution of the trematode Collyriclum faba ( Bremser) in Birds" (PDF). The Auk . 61 (11): 421-426. doi:10.2307/4079515. JSTOR   4079515.
  30. ↑ Peters, Harold S. (April 1933). External parasites collected from banded birds (PDF). Vol. 4. Bird Banding. p. 68-75.
  31. ↑ Peters, Harold S. (January 1936). A list of external parasites from birds of the eastern part of the United States (PDF). Vol. 7. Bird-Banding. p. 9-27.
  32. ↑ Main, Andrew J.; Anderson, Kathleen S. (October 1970). The genera Ornithoica, Ornithomya, and Ornithoctona in Massachusetts (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) (PDF). Vol. 41. Bird-Banding. p. 300-306.
  33. ↑ Hardy, JW (1965). "A spectacular case of cnemnidocoptiasis (scaly-leg) in the white-breasted nuthatch". The Condor . 67 (3): 264-265. doi:10.2307/1365405. JSTOR   1365405.
  34. ↑ "White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis" (PDF). Florida's breeding bird atlas: A collaborative study of Florida's birdlife. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 2003. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
  35. ↑ "White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis". BirdWeb – Seattle Audubon's guide to the birds of Washington. Seattle Audubon Society. Retrieved 3 August 2008.

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