From Opus

Juvenile
Photo by James Eaton
Yulong Xueshan, Yunnan, China, July 2004

Alternative name: Black-masked Nuthatch

Sitta yunnanensis

[edit] Identification

12cm. A small nuthatch.

• Slender, slightly upturned bill
• Narrow white supercilium
• Broad long black eyestripe
• Blue-grey upperparts
• White throat
• Pinkish-buff underparts
• Grey feet
• Brown iris

Sexes similar. Juveniles have a less bold eyestripe.

[edit] Distribution

Found in southern China from extreme southeast Tibet to Sichuan, Yunnan and western Guizhou.
A locally common restricted-range species. Threatened by logging and forest fires.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species.¹

[edit] Habitat

Mature pine forest, with little undergrowth.
Occurs from 2440 to 3400m.

[edit] Behaviour

Little information about diet. Feeds on insects.
Forage often among needle clusters of pines like a tit.
Breeding poorly known. Juveniles are found from May onwards.
A resident species.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. 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