White-tailed Nuthatch

Overview

The white-tailed nuthatch (Sitta himalayensis) is a species of bird in the family Sittidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 12 cm long, slightly smaller than other related Himalayan nuthatches.
• Pale orangey underparts with unmarked bright rufous undertail-coverts.
• Smaller beak and paler blue-grey mantle compared to the Kashmir nuthatch.
• Broad black eyestripe that flares wider behind the eye.

Habitat

Found across the northern and northeastern parts of the Indian subcontinent, mainly in the low-to-middle Himalayas and associated mountain ranges. Its natural habitats include subtropical or tropical moist lowland broadleaf forests and moist montane forests, where it breeds at altitudes between 1,500 and 3,400 m.

Did you know?

The white patch on the centre of the upper tail coverts is so difficult to see in the field that it is rarely a useful identification feature.