Alternative name: Black-masked Nuthatch
- Sitta yunnanensis
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.
Distribution
Found in southern China from extreme southeast Tibet to Sichuan, Yunnan and western Guizhou.
Recently recorded in Arunachal Pradesh, India.
A locally common restricted-range species. Threatened by logging and forest fires.
Taxonomy
Habitat
Mature pine forest, with little undergrowth.
Occurs from 2440 to 3400m.
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.
References
- 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
- 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
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Yunnan Nuthatch. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Yunnan_Nuthatch
