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Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) Alternate name(s): "Wood Nuthatch" German name(s): "Kleiber", "Spechtmeise" Size: 12-14.5 cm; wing span 22.5-27 cm Body mass: 17-28 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: ca. 0.17-0.47

Europe: Family Group 20 Family Group 20 Table Bohemian Waxwing Eurasian Nuthatch Western Rock Nuthatch Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Eurasian Nuthatches have a light front (various combinations of buff and white, depending on race) and all-grey upperparts. Across the face, the two are separated by a prominent black eye stripe. They have short tails and wings and long, dark, pointed bills. They are small, compact birds with strong legs and feet.

Taxonomy, classification See Eurasian Nuthatch at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information A nuthatch is not a treecreeper. They are more closely related to the Australasian Varied Sittella.

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Eurasian Nuthatch is available HERE . There are 3 races of Eurasian Nuthatches, which altogether populate basically all of central and southern Europe, all of temperate Asia to the far East coast and there farther to the South, to southern China and Taiwan, and also in Japan. They are also found in parts of the Middle East, England and the southern parts of Scandinavia (for details see a field guide). Eurasian Nuthatches are found as permanent residents in most of Europe, EXCEPT parts of southern Spain, the lower Po valley in Italy, some coastal regions in southern Italy and Greece and most of central and northern Scandinavia. They are also absent from northern Scotland and from Ireland. Eurasian Nuthatches, race "caesia", have a preference for oak woodland or forest with mature trees.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "caesia" We have seen a Eurasian Nuthatch, nominate race "caesia", in mixed forest with mature oak trees on the Kueser Plateau near Bernkastel-Kues, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany, in August 2014. H. Dahlem-Senger reports spotting a Eurasian Nuthatch, race "caesia", near Dahn, Pfalz, Germany, in January 2016. M. Thomas reports spotting Eurasian Nuthatches, race "caesia", semi-regularly during the winter months in Eltville, Hessen, Germany. G. Normand found Eurasian Nuthatches, race "caesia", 30 km South of Paris, France, in October 2019 and in Bois de Vincennes, 12th district, Paris, in December 2020. Another was found in Tirana, Albania, in August 2021. C. Pears spotted a Eurasian Nuthatch, race "caesia", at Borrowdale, Cumberland, England, in September 2023. Another was found there in September 2024. A. Sarok spotted Eurasian Nuthatches, race "caesia", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. In the past we used to see Eurasian Nuthatches, race "caesia", occasionally in the Eifel, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Race "hispaniensis" J. Pires reports spotting Eurasian Nuthatches, race "hispaniensis", semi-regularly in the area of Mora, Evora, Portugal to Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal.

Photos

Race "caesia"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[Tirana, Albania, August 2021]

Near-frontal view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, March 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

View onto the back of a male Eurasian Nuthatch; note the dark red-brown sides (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, March 2018]

Ventral view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch; note the dark red-brown vent (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Eltville, Hessen, Germany, March 2018]

Race "hispaniensis"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male Eurasian Nuthatches, left, have a more prominent face mask than females and a more colourful, pale rust-red front. That front extends down the belly to the vent; the colour of that vent is the primary distinguishing criterion between the sexes - the male's is dark red-brown, the female's is pale rusty buff.

MALE

Upside-down frontal view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Acude do Gameiro, Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2024]

View onto the back of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

View onto the back of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Near-frontal view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch; note the dark red-brown vent (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Acude do Gameiro, Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2024]

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Acude do Gameiro, Mora, Evora, Portugal, November 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, April 2014]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Divor river, Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2022]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Near-frontal view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Ponte de Sor, Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, September 2020]

Near-lateral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2020]

Near-lateral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch on the ground (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Ponte de Sor, Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, September 2020]

Lateral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch; note the pale vent (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]

Lateral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, September 2020]

Lateral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch moving head-down down a tree trunk (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, July 2014]

Ventral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2020]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of an Eurasian Nuthatch (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, January 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Eurasian Nuthatch "giving way to traffic from the right" (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2014]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Mar - Aug

Eggs: 6 - 9

Incubation period: 13 - 18 days

Fledging age: 20 - 26 days

The length of the breeding season depends on geographic latitude and on altitude.

Nest building: Female (& male?)

Incubation: Female

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

Type: Tree hollow

Material: Wood chips

Height above ground: 2 - 20 m

Eurasian Nuthatch leaving its nest hollow (photo courtesy of G. Normand)
[30 km South of Paris, France, October 2019]

Eggs

Size: 20 x 14 mm

Colour: White, with small reddish speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary/pair

The name of Eurasian Nuthatches derives from the birds' habit of wedging nuts into crevices and then cracking them.

View of the upperparts of a female Eurasian Nuthatch moving head-down down a tree trunk (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, July 2014]

Food, Diet

Eurasian Nuthatches feed mainly on insects, with a preference for caterpillars and beetles. In autumn this diet can be augmented by nuts and seeds.

Eurasian Nuthatch with a larva (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Eurasian Nuthatch that has just caught a small wood-boring insect (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Eurasian Nuthatch with its prey, a small spider (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montes Novos, Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Eurasian Nuthatch pulling its prey out of the bark of a tree (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, January 2018]

Near-lateral view of a female Eurasian Nuthatch at a bird feeder (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2025]

Eurasian Nuthatch visiting a bird feeder (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Borrowdale, Lake District, England, September 2023]

Eurasian Nuthatch drinking water (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 2014]

Eurasian Nuthatch scooping up a droplet of water (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, August 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.

nuthat_jp_20200910.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20221230.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20200318.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20200319.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20200403.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20200323.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20200410.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Contact calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20250201.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Alarm calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20200326.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Alarm calls(?)	© JP
nuthat_jp_20251127.m4a	hispaniensis (Portugal)	Various	© JP

More Eurasian Nuthatch 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.

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