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20

Varied Sittella

(Daphoenositta chrysoptera)
Alternate name(s): "Tree-runner", "Nuthatch", "Barkpecker", "Woodpecker" (misnomer);
(Includes "Black-capped Sitella", "White-winged Sitella", "White-headed Sitella" and "Striated Sitella")
Aboriginal name(s): Race "pileata": "darnakot", "koomalbidyt", "balbin" (WA)

Size: 11-13 cm
Weight: 8-17 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Varied Sittella at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "chrysoptera"

This race is also called "Orange-winged Sittella".

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Near-frontal view of a male Varied Sittella
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Near-lateral view of a jumping male Varied Sittella
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral view of a male Varied Sittella
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Varied Sittella
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2008]

Male Varied Sittella hanging off the underside of a branch (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Some Varied Sittella acrobatics
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2008]

Male Varied Sittella spreading its wings
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Upside-down view of a male Varied Sittella
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

FEMALE

Head-on view of a female Varied Sittella - note the streaking on the crown (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, January 2014]

Near-lateral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Queen Mary Falls, near Killarney, QLD, July 2019]

Lateral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Lateral view of a female Varied Sittella; this is one of the birds whose calls were recorded on 23 October 2014
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, October 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a female Varied Sittella
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2008]

Some more Varied Sittella arcrobatics
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, April 2008]

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a Varied Sittella in flight
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, May 2020]

Ventral view of a Varied Sittella in flight, just after takeoff
[North of Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a juvenile female Varied Sittella - note the bold streaking, whitish crown and rufous fringes on the wing feathers; although searching for food in the bark of an Acacia salicina, it was still being fed by adult birds
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2014]

View onto the back of the same juvenile Varied Sittella as shown above
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2014]

Race "pileata"

This race is also called "Black-capped Sittella".

ADULT

MALE

Near-frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wooroloo Regional Park, Perth, WA, August 2015]

FEMALE

Near-frontal/ventral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Murray River in Barmah State Park, near Echuca, VIC, October 2018]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Murray River in Barmah State Park, near Echuca, VIC, October 2018]

Lateral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Murray River in Barmah State Park, near Echuca, VIC, October 2018]

Race "leucocephala"

This race is also called "White-headed Sittella".

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal/ventral view of a Varied Sittella hopping about (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Near-lateral/ventral view of two Varied Sittellas (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]

Near-lateral/ventral view of two Varied Sittellas, now seen preening (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]

Varied Sittella hanging upside down to forage for insects (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Gold Scrub Lane, Samsonvale, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Lateral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Tinchi Tamba Wetlands, Brisbane, QLD, May 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a Varied Sittella having a stretch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, August 2017]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Race "leucoptera"

This race is also called "White-winged Sittella".

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Lateral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Lateral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Dorsal view of a male Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Varied Sittella; note the black helmet (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a female Varied Sittella flapping its wings, thereby showing the name-giving white wing panels
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Marrakai track, NT, July 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Katherine, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view onto the upperparts of a female Varied Sittella (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Bullita Access Road, NT, November 2018]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Sep - Jan Eggs: 2 - 3 Incubation period: 14 days Fledging age: ca. 15 days

The breeding season listed in the table above relates to the southern part of the continent. In the North they preferably breed between August and October, possibly also between February and March.

Nest building: Family clan Incubation: Mated female Dependent care: Family clan

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket Material: Bark, fibres, grass, webs, feathers Height above ground: 5-25 m

We have observed the behaviour described in some field guides of Varied Sittellas running (sometimes up, but mostly) down the trunk to which they attach their nest as if foraging for insects in the bark, thereby disguising the fact that they are building a nest.

Female Varied Sittella checking the "seating comfort" of a nest that is in the final phase of construction; note the typical position in a fork, making the nest look from below like the stump of another, broken branch
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

Here the male Varied Sittella is checking the nest
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

Female Varied Sittella bringing a downy feather for lining the nest that the male then put in place
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

Here a female Varied Sittella brings a piece of bark for the outside of the nest, while the male is about to head off again
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

The pair of Varied Sittellas had support from at least one more female helper; a maximum of 3 birds was observed by us over a period of 15 minutes and their calls were recorded, but it is unclear whether they were always the same 3 birds
[Near Barraba, NSW, September 2015]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 17 x 13 mm Colour: Light bluish-grey, with big dark speckles Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial? Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive Elementary unit: Family clan

While foraging in trees, Varied Sittellas move down tree trunks, head first, as opposed to treecreepers, which forage from the base of a tree upwards, also facing upwards.

Varied Sittella foraging head down (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Varied Sittella foraging head down (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Food, Diet

Varied Sittellas mostly probe tree bark for small insects and spiders, but they take larger prey, such as e.g. cicadas, as well.

Male Varied Sittella with its prey (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Wooroloo Regional Park, Perth, WA, August 2015]

Varied Sittella with its prey (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay Doctors Flat Road, East Gippsland, VIC, March 2018]

Varied Sittella with its prey (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Female Varied Sittella with a cicada it has just caught
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, October 2014]

Here the female Varied Sittella is seen plucking its cicada
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, October 2014]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

vsittel_20200815.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Contact calls(?) © MD
vsittel_20200801_3.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Contact calls(?) © MD
vsittel_20200801.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various © MD
vsittel_20200801_2.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various (+ Rufous Whistler) © MD
vsittel_20150905.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various (near nest) © MD
vsittel_20150905_2.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various (near nest) © MD
vsittel_20150905_3.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various (near nest) © MD
vsittel_20200527.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various (clan foraging) © MD
vsittel_20200517.m4a chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various © MD
vsittel_20141023_2.mp3 chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various (pair foraging) © MD
vsittel_20141023_3.mp3 chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various (pair foraging) © MD
vsittel_20141203.mp3 chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
Various © MD
vsittel_20141203_4.mp3 chrysoptera
(NW NSW)
? © MD

More Varied Sittella sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.