Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Nuthatch
Scientific Name:
Sitta europaea
Common Family:
Nuthatches
Scientific Family:
Sittidae
Also Known As:
Eurasian Nuthatch
Length:
14-15cm
Wingspan (mm):
20-25cm
Speed:
not known
Lifespan:
2 -11 years Average Lifespan: 2 years Description
A long pointed bill and a short tail. Upper parts are blue-grey in colour, with reddish brown flanks. Also has a white throat with a black eye-stripe. About the size of a great-tit.the northern european subspecies has a white underside, and birds elsewhere have a buff underside.
Distribution
England, Wales and southern Scotland,Europe America, Asia, and parts of Africa.
Habitat
Nuthatches can be found in Broad-leaved and mixed woodland,parks and gardens.Regular visitors to garden bird tables especially nut feeders.
Diet
InsectsLike spiders, beetles grass hoppers,seeds and nuts Beech mast, acorns, hazel nuts.
Behaviour
Nuthatches are agile birds they start at the top of a tree and work there way down head first finding insects along the way. They also hang upside down on branches and twigs looking for insect prey. Nuthatches will collect tough nuts and seeds and ram them in a crevice in the bark and use there strong beak to split open the nut or seed.
Reproduction
Breeding season is April to May. Nuthatches nest in holes in trees, often plastering up the hole with mud if it is too large. They lay 6-9 eggs, which are incubated for 14-15 days. The chicks fledge after 23-25 days. The nuthatch will hiss at any predators who near the nest. Most juveniles settle within 10km of where they were hatched.
Population
Common
Status
Green
Did You Know?
There are 24 species of nuthatch world wide.