Nuthatches (Sittidae)
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) - HBW 13, p. 139
French:
Sittelle à poitrine blanche
German: Carolinakleiber
Spanish: Trepador Pechiblanco
Other common names: White-breasted Black-capped/White-breasted
American/Carolina/Common Nuthatch; Florida Nuthatch (carolinensis);
Rocky Mountain Nuthatch (nelsoni); Inyo Nuthatch (tenuissima)
Taxonomy: Sitta
carolinensis Latham, 1790, in America, Jamaica = South Carolina,
USA.
Relationships
uncertain. Bears a superficial resemblance to S. leucopsis and
S. przewalskii and sometimes placed in the superspecies formed
by those two, although some authors doubt such a close relationship.
Recent studies of mitochondrial DNA, while not addressing this
problem, suggest that present species is close to S. himalayensis
and S. europaea. Geographical variation relatively slight and
largely clinal, upperparts (and, to lesser extent, underparts) on
average darkest in Rocky Mts and Mexico, becoming paler towards W and
especially E coasts; race.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Sitta
carolinensis Latham,1790. in America, Jamaica = South Carolina,
USA.
Relationships uncertain. Bears a superficial resemblance to S. leucopsis and S. przewalskii and sometimes placed in the superspecies formed by those two, although some authors doubt such a close relationship. Recent studies of mitochondrial DNA, while not addressing this problem, suggest that present species is close to S. himalayensis and S. europaea. Geographical variation relatively slight and largely clinal, upperparts (and, to lesser extent, underparts) on average darkest in Rocky Mts and Mexico, becoming paler towards W and especially E coasts; race alexandrae sometimes merged with tenuissima, and oberholseri with nelsoni; population in NE of range (E Canada and NE USA) sometimes separated as race cookei, with slightly paler back, and with most females pale-capped, but differences from nominate clinal and/or not constant. Proposed race atkinsi from SE USA (Tarpon Springs, in Florida) synonymized with nominate, and N Mexican umbrosa (from Sierra Madre near Guadalupe y Calvo, in SW Chihuahua) with mexicana. Nine subspecies recognized.
Relationships uncertain. Bears a superficial resemblance to S. leucopsis and S. przewalskii and sometimes placed in the superspecies formed by those two, although some authors doubt such a close relationship. Recent studies of mitochondrial DNA, while not addressing this problem, suggest that present species is close to S. himalayensis and S. europaea. Geographical variation relatively slight and largely clinal, upperparts (and, to lesser extent, underparts) on average darkest in Rocky Mts and Mexico, becoming paler towards W and especially E coasts; race alexandrae sometimes merged with tenuissima, and oberholseri with nelsoni; population in NE of range (E Canada and NE USA) sometimes separated as race cookei, with slightly paler back, and with most females pale-capped, but differences from nominate clinal and/or not constant. Proposed race atkinsi from SE USA (Tarpon Springs, in Florida) synonymized with nominate, and N Mexican umbrosa (from Sierra Madre near Guadalupe y Calvo, in SW Chihuahua) with mexicana. Nine subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- tenuissima Grinnell, 1918 - SW Canada (S British Columbia S from Lillooet), and W USA in Cascades of E Washington and Oregon, W Montana, W Wyoming, Idaho, C & W Nevada, and E California (generally E of Sierra Nevada, S to Inyo County).
- aculeata Cassin, 1856 - W Washington, W Oregon and W California (Pacific lowlands W of Cascades, and crest of Sierra Nevada and mountains in S), and extreme NW Mexico (Sierra de Juárez, in extreme N Baja California).
- alexandrae Grinnell, 1926 - N Baja California Norte (Sierra San Pedro Mártir).
- tenuissima Grinnell, 1918 - SW Canada (S British Columbia S from Lillooet), and W USA in Cascades of E Washington and Oregon, W Montana, W Wyoming, Idaho, C & W Nevada, and E California (generally E of Sierra Nevada, S to Inyo County).
- aculeata Cassin, 1856 - W Washington, W Oregon and W California (Pacific lowlands W of Cascades, and crest of Sierra Nevada and mountains in S), and extreme NW Mexico (Sierra de Juárez, in extreme N Baja California).
- alexandrae Grinnell, 1926 - N Baja California Norte (Sierra San Pedro Mártir).
- lagunae Brewster, 1891 - extreme S Baja California (Sierra de San Lázaro).
- nelsoni Mearns, 1902 - Rocky Mts from N Montana S to E Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, W Colorado, Arizona (except SW deserts), W New Mexico, extreme W Oklahoma and W Texas (Davis and Guadalupe mountains), and N Mexico (NE Sonora and extreme NW Chihuahua).
- carolinensis Latham, 1790 - C & E Canada from C & S Alberta (S from Lesser Slave L), SE Saskatchewan (S & E from Prince Albert), S Manitoba (S from R Swan and Winnipeg) and extreme SW & SE Ontario E to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (including Prince Edward I and Cape Breton I), and S in USA to Gulf Coast and C Florida (E from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and E Texas).
- oberholseri H. W. Brandt, 1938 - SW Texas (Chisos Mts) and NE Mexico (N Sierra Madre Oriental S to W Nuevo León and, probably, interior SW Tamaulipas.
- mexicana Nelson & Palmer, 1894 - W, C & S Mexico in Sierra Madre Occidental and associated ranges from SE Sonora and C Chihuahua S to Jalisco Michoacán, Hidalgo, Puebla, and WC Veracruz (Jalapa, Mt Citlaltepetl), and S Sierra Madre Oriental from C Nuevo León (Gulf slope) and SE Coahuila S to SW Tamaulipas and E San Luis Potosí.
- kinneari van Rossem, 1939 - S Mexico in Guerrero and Oaxaca (Sierra Madre del Sur).
- Least Concern
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An adult bird face down on a trunk, feeding Ventura County, California, USA (ssp aculeata)
Don DesJardin 30 November 2002 3 years ago 15 sec 4.5 -
An adult looking for food in a tree trunk California, USA (ssp aculeate)
Don DesJardin 30 June 2006 3 years ago 14 sec 4.2 -
A bird moving down a tree trunk. Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, USA (ssp aculeata)
Paul Clarke 19 September 2009 45 weeks ago 27 sec 4 -
adult male preening Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, USA (ssp nelsoni)
Malcolm Mark Swan 31 July 2009 1 year ago 39 sec 4 -
A bird manipulating a prey Bronx Zoo, New York City, New York, USA
Josep del Hoyo 24 June 2005 3 years ago 27 sec 4 -
A bird pecking on a trunk Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge, Long Island, New York, USA (ssp carolinensis)
Curt Kessler 31 December 2005 4 years ago 20 sec 3.6
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Bird perched in tree Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary, Manistee County, Michigan, USA
Tom Moxley 5 July 2010 6 days ago ADDED LAST WEEK 4 -
White-breasted nuthatch feeding. Cherry Creek State Park, Arapahoe County, Colorado, USA
Mike Ross 7 January 2009 38 weeks ago 4 -
A bird perching on a branch Portal, Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona, USA
Tadeusz Stawarczyk 6 April 2007 1 year ago 4 -
Bird perched on tree Lake Bluff Bird Sanctuary, Manistee County, Michigan, USA
Tom Moxley 13 May 2010 3 weeks ago ADDED LAST MONTH 3.9 -
Male - perched on a feeder Manitoba, Canada
Blair Wainman 28 November 2009 37 weeks ago 3.7 -
An adult sitting on a feeder. Manitoba, Canada
Emily Pipher 15 November 2009 40 weeks ago 3.7
-
Calls of an individual Atlanta, Georgia, USA
(ssp carolinensis)
Stuart Fisher 4 June 2009 45 weeks ago 3.5
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