Yunnan Nuthatch Sitta yunnanensis Scientific name definitions

12 cm; 7·5–13 g. A small nuthatch with slender, slightly upturned bill, narrow supercilium and broad long black eyestripe. Male in fresh plumage (Aug to spring) has whitish lower forehead and narrow supercilium extending to rear of ear-coverts, black eyestripe from nostril to side of mantle, broad (c. 5 mm) at rear, sometimes invaded with grey behind ear-coverts; crown and upperparts, including tertials and upperwing-coverts, medium grey-blue, often some paler feather centres visible on nape and upper mantle, inner webs of tertials greyer, grey inner webs of greater coverts fully concealed; alula, primary coverts and flight-feathers dark grey-brown; smaller feathers of alula, primary coverts, inner primaries and secondaries fringed grey-blue, primaries P3-P6 fringed pale grey-blue inward of emargination; central tail feathers grey-blue (as upperparts), other rectrices blackish, broadly tipped blue-grey (extending along fringe of outer web), amount of white in tail variable, some individuals having T4-T6 with white triangle subterminally on fringe of inner web, T6 narrowly fringed white on inner web, others having a much larger subterminal white spot on inner web of T4-T5 and narrow broken diagonal subterminal bar across both webs of T6; chin, cheek, lower ear-coverts and side of neck white (forming contrasting line below dark eyestripe); throat and underparts clean pale pinkish-buff, flanks and vent washed greyer, thighs dark grey, tipped pale pinkish-buff; axillaries light grey, underwing-coverts sooty grey, longest under primary coverts and base of primaries contrastingly whitish; in worn plumage, whitish feather tips forming supercilium abraded (on forehead reduced to few white flecks, sometimes entirely absent), eyestripe broader and more prominent (and black feather bases on forehead revealed), upperparts duller and less blue, wing and tail very abraded (but grey-blue fringes on flight-feathers present until at least May), underparts dirty pale buff-grey or greyish-white (when very worn, dark feather bases visible and underparts very dingy); iris dark brown, narrow white eyering; bill grey-black, yellowish-horn base of lower mandible (in museum specimens); legs grey-black. Female as male, but eyestripe on average less intensely black and underparts slightly duller and greyer, less pure pale pinkish-buff. Juvenile is duller than adult, with supercilia faint and not meeting on forehead (and sometimes almost lacking), eyestripe similarly reduced or absent, cheek patch dirty grey-white (rather than pure white), throat whiter, underparts dull greyish-cinnamon (not so pale as worn adult), bill considerably shorter, yellowish-horn base of lower mandible more extensive.

S China, from extreme SE Tibet (Zayu and Zhuwagen) E to S Sichuan (S from Yajiang) and S to W & C Yunnan and W Guizhou. Recently recorded at Walong (2 Bonpo, C.R. and Kuriakose, J. (2014). Yunnan Nuthatch Sitta yunnanensis from Walong, Arunachal Pradesh: a new species for South Asia. Indian Birds 9(4): 105–106. Close ), extreme E Arunachal Pradesh (India).

Open mature pine (Pinus) forest with little undergrowth or scrub, apparently avoiding denser stands of spruce (Picea) and fir (Abies). Occasionally forages in relatively small pines, even as short as 2–3 m, in open forest and among scattered trees. Found at 2440–3400 m, sometimes to 3960 m, in summer; some movement to lower altitudes in winter, when recorded in Guizhou at 1670 m in Mar and c. 2750 m in Nov, and in Yunnan noted at 1200 m in Gaoligong Shan in Feb and 2000 m at Shuangbai in Sept, but also at 2600–4000 m in Nov–Jan.

Resident.

Little information. Food insects. Frequently forages among needle clusters of pines in manner of a tit (Paridae).

Rather vocal. Calls include nasal “nit” or “kni”, a shorter, more abrupt and higher-pitched (although still nasal) “tit”, an abrupt squeaky “pit” and a low nasal “toik”, all these given singly, but “nit” call sometimes in couplets as full “nit-nit” or abrupt nasal “chit-chit”, also often in series of 4–10 units at 5–6 notes per second, “kni-kni-kni…”, variations including purer, thinner and more peevish “kit-kit-kit…”, clearer and more piping “pi-pi-pi…”, and more nasal (but relatively high and weak) “niew-niew-niew”, each unit falling slightly in pitch. Other calls include harsh, scolding “schri-schri-schri…” (or “szi-szi-szi…”), similar to call of Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius), which may grade into high, strident nasal “ziew-ziew-ziew…” (similar to sound made by squeaky toy) in series at c. 3 calls per second; “ziew” calls quite well separated or may be run together into cacophony of sound, and sometimes shortened to “zi”. Related calls include full explosive nasal “quit-quit-quit”, singly or in groups of 2–3 units, harsher and emphatic nasal “schu-schu-schu”, and thinner upwardly inflected nasal “tui-tui-tui”.

Female in Guizhou on 9th Mar was near to laying, and juveniles found from 21st May onwards. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. Restricted range species: present in Yunnan Mountains EBA. Locally common. Occurs at few sites on edge of range, e.g. in W Guizhou recorded only from Shuicheng (two individuals at Tuoda forest, 60 km NW of Weining, in Nov 1987). Has disappeared from several localities where recorded in early 20th century. Is presumably continuing to decline as a result of logging and forest fires, and, although this species does appear able to adapt to degraded and secondary forest, it could be dependent on mature pines for nesting; detailed ecological studies needed.