Nuthatch Sitta europaea   [Linnaeus, 1758]

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   Page updated:16-January-2013

Order: Passeriformes Family: Sittidae
BTO Codes: NH, NUTHA EURING No: 14790
Number in Britain: 144 thousand territories (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: GREEN
European: Not a species of concern
Global: (Details)
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Resident Breeder
Subspecies: caesia recorded in Britain (of 16 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 24 cm Weight: M/F: 24 g    
Scientific name from: Gr.: sitte=a nuthatch and after Europe
World Distribution: Europe, Asia
Habitat: Forest, woodland, towns
Diet: Invertebrates, winter, also seeds, feeds on trunk and branches but also on ground

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: BirdTrends   
Regional Trends: Wales   England   English Regions
Distribution: Atlas Maps    BBS Maps
Abundance Maps: Population Density   Change in Density   Guide to Interpretation
British Population Size:
    Summer: 144 thousand territories in 2000
    First Record: Recorded in Medieval times [Fossil evidence from Middle Pleistocene, c. 500,000 yr ago]
    Conservation Status: GREEN
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: caesia GREEN
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Deciduous Wood
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 6.5 to 14 million pairs   (Trend in Numbers)
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe mapped by the EBCC Atlas
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: Bern(III)
Survey Results: Results from BirdTrack
Results from Garden BirdWatch

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 20 x 15 mm Egg Weight: 2.3 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 137   (more would be welcome!)
Clutch Size: 6 - 8 eggs 6.66 ± 1.30 (2 - 10) N = 823
Incubation: 16- 17 days 15.85 ± 1.54 (13 - 18.5) N = 823   by the: Female
Fledging: 24 - 25days 24.07 ± 1.13 (22 - 25.5) N = 1811 as: Altricial, downy
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Nest Record Scheme data
First Clutches Laid: 23 Apr (10 Apr - 6 May)
Number of Broods: 1(2)
See trends in Breeding Productivity
Number Ringed: Annual Totals
Adult Survival: 0.510    (M:0.550 ; F:0.470 )      
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 1 year Typical Lifespan: 2 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 8 years 8 months 6 days (set in 1973)
Read a summary of Ringing Recoveries

Biometrics

Ring Size: B
Wing Length Adult: 84.1 ± 2.2     Range 73.0 - 94.0 mm, (N = 1283)
Juvenile: 83.9 ± 2.1     Range 75.0 - 90.0 mm, (N = 2197)
Male: 85.1 ± 1.9     Range 74.0 - 93.0 mm, (N = 617)
Female: 82.9 ± 1.8     Range 73.0 - 94.0 mm, (N = 628)
Weight Adult: 22.11 ± 1.33 Range 17.80 - 27.10 g , (N =1027)
Juvenile: 21.6 ± 1.4 Range 17.0 - 26.2 . , (N =1976)
Male: 22.48 ± 1.25 Range 18.50 - 26.00 g , (N =505)
Female: 21.71 ± 1.33 Range 17.80 - 27.10 g , (N =487)
Seasonal: Summer 21.99 ± 1.40 (N = 631)   Autumn 22.37 ± 1.24 (N = 294)   Winter 22.06 ± 1.15 (N = 1676)  
Source: British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data

Other Names

Wood / Eurasian Nuthatch
Gaelic: Sgoltan Welsh: Delor y Cnau
Danish: Spętmejse Dutch: Boomklever
Finnish: Pähkinänakkeli French: Sittelle torchepot
German: Kleiber Hungarian: Csuszka
Icelandic: Hnotigša Irish:
Italian: Picchio muratore Norwegian: Spettmeis
Polish: Kowalik zwyczajny Portuguese: Trepadeira-azul
Spanish: Trepador comśn Swedish: Nötväcka

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Matthysen, E. 1998 The nuthatches Poyser, London
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
Read State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead