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2 birds / North Macedonia (1 Viewer)

Jose605

Well-known member
Congo-Brazzaville
They were photographed in May last year.

First one should be a fairly common one...

The second I'm thinking it may be a Western Rock Nuthatch.

Thanks for your help.

Jose
 

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Thank you everyone! I should have guessed the Great Tit...

As for the Nuthatch, I'm not so sure. I'd say WRN's bill is about the same size that of the Eurasian's, lou?

And the overall colors of the bird correspond more to WRN I'd say. Both species are also present in the country.
 
Tried brightening the nuthatch pics in photoshop; the undertail looks rather mottled, which would support Eurasian rather than Rock. But it's a tough call from these pics! Was the bird very noisy?
 
Thank you all for your feedback, and for the Photoshop exercise, Nutcracker.

Unfortunately I have no other photos of the bird. If I remember correctly he flew in and out fast, so I didn't have the time to take a proper, more clear photo. I didn't hear him sing either.

Perhaps the key would be in the throat/breast, which I believe is all white on Rock and here it looks dark (due to shadow perhaps as Andy pointed out) but then again it looks rather grey than yellowish, which would correspond to Eurasian…

I also read the legs are slightly longer in Rock compared to those of Eurasian's, but then again the legs aren't showing well in the photos either.

Shame the bird wasn't standing on a rock instead ;)
 
Thanks, Nutcracker. He was just there for a second, so no much time for singing...

Maybe I should just give up on my Western Rock idea :-C
 
My experience of Rock Nothatch in SW Turkey is that they are incessantly noisy, and very loud . . . (which is why I asked!). So silence is another pointer for Eurasian :t:

In Germany I usually find Eurasian Nuthatch by it's noise and I have pretty bad hearing!
 
I see Eurasian often in Spain, and usually spot them by seeing them rather than hearing them... My hearing must be pretty bad!
 
they usually strongly differ in habitat preference. how was it? high rocky slopes with scarce vegetation or bushland with stones or mediteranean forest?
 
they usually strongly differ in habitat preference. how was it? high rocky slopes with scarce vegetation or bushland with stones or mediteranean forest?
That's a good question, lou. I saw the bird in a place called Skopska Crna Gora, a mountain range in the north of the country. Mostly beech forest I'd say, with not a lot of rocky areas around, from what I remember. This probably points to Eurasian as well. Thanks again!
 
My experience of Rock Nothatch in SW Turkey is that they are incessantly noisy, and very loud . . . (which is why I asked!). So silence is another pointer for Eurasian :t:
I saw Eastern Rock in Iran, and must say I was guided to them by their loud calls :-O Maybe the Rock species are louder than Eurasian? Who knows!
 
FWIW the bill length and structure as well as the rusty buff wash to the under-parts all point to Eurasian Nuthatch imo, as opposed to the barely discernible cream washed underparts and circa 30% longer bill of Rock Nuthatch.

Cheers
 
FWIW the bill length and structure as well as the rusty buff wash to the under-parts all point to Eurasian Nuthatch imo, as opposed to the barely discernible cream washed underparts and circa 30% longer bill of Rock Nuthatch.

Cheers
Thank you Ken! Very helpful.
 
i checked the location - it's well out of range for rock nuthatch which occures south and east of skopje, but not north of it. also, what you describe for habitat is totally off - they are ROCK nuthatches all the way.
 
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