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  3. Eurasian Nuthatch

Birds · Passeriformes · Sittidae

Eurasian Nuthatch

Sitta europaea

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.

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The Eurasian nuthatch is a species of passerine bird of the family Sittidae. It is a medium-sized bird measuring 14 cm in length. Like other nuthatches, it is a robust bird, with a short tail and a long bill. The upperparts are blue-grey, and the colours of the underparts vary with geographical location from pure red to white or yellowish, with or without a pale area on the cheek.

Weight

17 g – 28 g

Size

12 cm – 15 cm

Life expectancy

10 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Temperate forest
49countries250parks

Fun facts

  • It is the only European bird that goes down trunks head first: woodpeckers and treecreepers only climb up, propped on their tails, and the nuthatch does it with no tail support at all, on its claws alone.
  • It narrows the entrance of its nest hole with mud until only it can fit, shutting out starlings and other larger competitors, and that mortar hardens until it is like cement.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat and environment
Mature deciduous and mixed woodland, parks and wooded gardens of Eurasia
Sexual maturity
12 months
Gestation / incubation
16 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size
7 eggs

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (es): Sitta europaea

Where to find it

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Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 250.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Eurasian Nuthatch — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

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Based on what we already know about eurasian nuthatch.

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The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

See its range on the interactive map→
SarekSweden
PadjelantaSweden
JotunheimenNorway
HardangerviddaNorway
Pallas-YllästunturiFinland
Urho KekkonenFinland
Lake DistrictUnited Kingdom
CairngormsUnited Kingdom
Snowdonia (Eryri)United Kingdom
Gran ParadisoItaly
See all 250 parks
Least Concern

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Red KiteLeast Concern

Red Kite

Milvus milvus

Great Spotted WoodpeckerLeast Concern

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Common RavenLeast Concern

Common Raven

Corvus corax

Least Concern

Carrion Crow

Corvus corone

Eurasian MagpieLeast Concern

Eurasian Magpie

Pica pica

CountriesPoland
ParksSarekSweden
TagsOmnivore
Omnivore
Diurnal
In pairs
Bird
Temperate forest

Europe40

Asia8

Africa1

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