Blue Nuthatch

About the Blue Nuthatch

The blue nuthatch (Sitta azurea) is a bird species in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring 13.5 cm (5.3 in) in length. The species, which shows slight sexual dimorphism, has dramatic plumage pattern unlike any other member of its genus. Its head is black or blackish-blue dark blue upperparts close to purple with azure feathers. The wings are edged with black. The throat and chest are white or a washed buff, contrasting with the upperparts and the belly of a very dark blue; the covert feathers are generally clear, blue-grey or purplish.

The blue nuthatch's ecology is poorly known, but it feeds on small invertebrates found on trees; reproduction takes place from April to June or July. It also forages in mixed-species flocks in larger groups. They can be found in the Malay Peninsula and on the islands of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia, where it inhabits subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest above 900 m (3,000 ft) in altitude.

Three subspecies are accepted: S. a. expectata, S. a. nigriventer and S. a. azurea, which differ chiefly in the colour of their mantles, chests and bellies. The species' closest relatives are the velvet-fronted nuthatch (S. frontalis), the yellow-billed nuthatch (S. solangiae) and the sulphur-billed nuthatch (S. oenochlamys). The population of the species has not been determined but the species appears to be at low risk of extinction because of the extent of its distribution. It has been classified as of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Wikipedia →