From Opus

Alternative names: Snowy-browed Nuthatch; Black-headed Nuthatch

Photo by RNossent
Fragrant Hills Park Beijing, China, March 2008

Sitta villosa

[edit] Identification

11.5cm. A small nuthatch.

• Black cap
• White supercilium
• Narrow blackish eyestripe
• Slender, sharply pointed bill
• Blue-grey upperparts
• White cheek, ear-coverts, chin and upper throat
• Pale greyish-buff rest of underparts

Sexes similar. Females with less contrast between black cap and blue-grey upperparts. Juveniles with duller cap.

[edit] Similar species

Female
Photo by TAE-HEON CHOI
Seoul, South Korea, January 2013

Corsican Nuthatch is remarkably similar, but ranges don't overlap.

[edit] Distribution

Patchily distributed in northern China, the Russian Far East and North Korea. Rare non-breeding visitor in South Korea.
Fairly common in most of its range.

[edit] Taxonomy

Formerly treated conspecific with Corsican Nuthatch and Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Three subspecies recognized:

• S. v. bangsi in north-central China
• S. v. villosa in northeast China
• S. v. corea in the Russian Far East, etxtreme North Korea and northeast China^*

^*This last subspecies is not recognised by all authorities^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Temperate forests mostly in hills. Also recorded breeding in city park.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

Feeds on insects. In winter pine seeds and other seeds are also taken.
Often hoards food.

[edit] Breeding

Breeding recorded in April and May. The nest is placed in a tree cavity, a rotten stump or in an old building, 0.3 to 14m above the ground. Lays 4 to 9 eggs.
Summer visitor to northern parts of its range (like Russian Far East), resident in southern parts.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2008. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 13: Penduline-tits to Shrikes. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553453

• List of references

[edit] External Links