Eastern Rock Nuthatch

Overview

The eastern rock nuthatch, also known as the Persian nuthatch, is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• 15–16 cm in length, with Sitta tephronota dresseri being the heaviest in its family at 42.7–55 g.
• Pale blue-grey upperparts, white breast, and belly grading to pale orange-buff on the under-tail coverts.
• Bold black eyestripe on the head.
• One of the least brightly coloured nuthatches.

Habitat

Found in southwest and central Asia, ranging from eastern Turkey through Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, to northwestern Pakistan. Populations in the western part of its range overlap with the western rock nuthatch, where both species have evolved distinct characteristics via character displacement.

Did you know?

Sitta tephronota dresseri is the heaviest bird in the entire nuthatch family, weighing up to 55 g, even though it is not the longest-bodied.