Nuthatches (Sittidae)
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (Sitta frontalis) - HBW 13, p. 142
French:
Sittelle veloutée
German: Samtstirnkleiber
Spanish:
Trepador Piquirrojo
Other common names: Velvet-fronted Blue Nuthatch
Taxonomy: Sitta
frontalis Swainson, 1820, Sri Lanka.
Sometimes
placed with S. solangiae and S. oenochlamys in a
separate genus, Oenositta. The three may form a superspecies
and have at times been considered conspecific. Racial identity of
Sumatran populations requires verification, and these have been
variously ascribed to nominate, saturatior and/or velata.
Five subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- frontalis Swainson, 1820 - peninsular India, especially in hills (absent from large areas, e.g. N & NW, Gangetic Plain and Deccan plateau), Himalayan foothills from Kumaon E to NE India (S from Assam and Nagaland), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, S China (W, S & SE Yunnan S to Xishuangbanna, C & S Guizhou, W Guangxi and W & S Guangdong), Myanmar, Thailand S to Isthmus of Kra (absent from C plains and much of NE), and Indochina.
- saturatior E. J. O. Hartert, 1902 - Malay Peninsula S of Isthmus of Kra (including Phuket, Penang and Singapore), Lingga Archipelago, Sumatra (including Simeulue I) and Bangka.
- corallipes (Sharpe, 1888) - Borneo, including Maratua I (off E coast).
- frontalis Swainson, 1820 - peninsular India, especially in hills (absent from large areas, e.g. N & NW, Gangetic Plain and Deccan plateau), Himalayan foothills from Kumaon E to NE India (S from Assam and Nagaland), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, S China (W, S & SE Yunnan S to Xishuangbanna, C & S Guizhou, W Guangxi and W & S Guangdong), Myanmar, Thailand S to Isthmus of Kra (absent from C plains and much of NE), and Indochina.
- saturatior E. J. O. Hartert, 1902 - Malay Peninsula S of Isthmus of Kra (including Phuket, Penang and Singapore), Lingga Archipelago, Sumatra (including Simeulue I) and Bangka.
- corallipes (Sharpe, 1888) - Borneo, including Maratua I (off E coast).
- palawana E. J. O. Hartert, 1905 - Palawan and Balabac, in W Philippines.
- velata Temminck, 1821 - Java.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
-
Two birds searching for food in the moss of a tree. Locality Munnar, Idukki District, Kerala, India (ssp frontalis)
Juan Sanabria 1 August 2008 4 years ago 29 sec 4 -
Several males, which are part of a mixed species flock, foraging in a tree. Locality Kumeria Forest Reserve, Almora District, Uttarakhand, India (ssp earlei)
Pieter de Groot Boersma 1 February 2008 4 years ago 18 sec 3.8 -
A bird on a branch. Locality Munnar, Idukki District, Kerala, India (ssp frontalis)
Josep del Hoyo 2 December 2009 3 years ago 8 sec 3.4 -
Velvet Fronted Nuthatch feeding on insects on the trunk of a Jack tree Locality Tamil Nadu, India
vasanthan.p.j 12 August 2007 4 years ago 28 sec 3.3 -
2 slow-motioned shots Locality Munnar, Idukki District, Kerala, India
Juan Sanabria 1 August 2008 4 years ago 19 sec 3 -
A brief view of a bird in a tree Locality Doi Lang, North Western Thailand, Thailand (ssp frontalis)
Josep del Hoyo 3 November 2004 6 years ago 4 sec 2.8
-
Two birds perched on a trunk.
Locality Mount Kinabalu National Park, Sabah (Malaysia), Borneo (ssp corallipes)
John and Jemi Holmes 33 weeks ago 4.8 -
Male perched on branch
Locality Hong Kong
wilsondring 2 May 2013 2 weeks ago ADDED LAST MONTH 4.6 -
Male passing food to the female inside nest
Locality Hong Kong
wilsondring 2 May 2013 2 weeks ago ADDED LAST MONTH 4 -
An adult bird hanging from a fruit.
Locality Sepilok, Sandakan, Sabah (Malaysia), Borneo (ssp corallipes)
James Eaton 1 November 2010 26 weeks ago 4 -
Going down in search of food.
Locality Cat Tien National Park, Cochinchina, Vietnam (ssp frontalis)
Fran Trabalon 21 November 2010 1 year ago 3.6 -
An adult feeding in typical fashion.
Locality Nuwara Eliya, Central Province, Sri Lanka (ssp frontalis)
Steve Garvie 3 August 2009 3 years ago 3.6
- No sound recordings available yet
Email this page