Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch

From Opus

Subspecies S. c. almorae male
Photo © by Rajiv Lather
Uttarakhand Himalayas, India

Sitta cinnamoventris

[edit] Identification

14cm (5½ in)

• Grey upperparts (no contrast to crown)
• Rufous belly and underparts
• White undertail-coverts with chestnut scalloping
• Black eyestripe
• Dark iris
• Long, blunt grey bill and grey legs

[edit] Distribution

Found in the Himalayas from Pakistan east to India, Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, Burma, northern Thailand, Laos and northern Vietnam.
Common in most of its range.

[edit] Taxonomy

Subspecies S. c. almorae female
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Sat Tal Forest, Alt. 5500 ft., Uttarakhand Himalayas, India, October-2018

Formerly considered conspecific with Burmese Nuthatch and Indian Nuthatch.

Forms a superspecies with Eurasian Nuthatch, Chestnut-vented Nuthatch, Indian Nuthatch, Burmese Nuthatch and Kashmir Nuthatch.

[edit] Subspecies

There are 4 subspecies^[1]:

• S. c. almorae:

• Foothills of western Himalayas (Pakistan to eastern Nepal)

• S. c. cinnamoventris:

• Eastern Himalayas (eastern Nepal to north-western Yunnan and Arunachal Pradesh)

• S. c. koelzi:

• South-eastern Arunachal Pradesh to Assam and adjacent north-western Myanmar

• S. c. tonkinensis:

• Southern Yunnan to northern Thailand, northern Vietnam, northern and central Laos

Open wing male subspecies S. c. almorae
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Sat Tal Forest, Alt. 5500 ft., Uttarakhand Himalayas, India, March-2018

[edit] Habitat

Moist lowland and hill forests.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

It nests in a hole or crevice.

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects, nuts and seeds.
Forages singly, in pairs or small groups.

[edit] Movements

A resident species.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
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
3. Avibase
4. Wikipedia
5. Wapedia
6. 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