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20

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
Weight: 19-30 g

Similar
species

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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Eurasian Nuthatch at Wikipedia .

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

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]

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

MALE

Lateral view of a male Eurasian Nuthatch; note the dark red-brown vent (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Mora, Evora, Portugal, July 2018]

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

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

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, February 2020]

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

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]

Eurasian Nuthatch visiting a bird feeder (photo courtesy of M. Thomas)
[Elvtille, Hessen, Germany, December 2017]

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_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_20200326.m4a hispaniensis
(Portugal)
Alarm calls(?) © 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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If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.