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 Enlarge map
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adult male preening Locality Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, USA (United States) (ssp nelsoni)
Malcolm Mark Swan 31 July 2009 3 years ago 39 sec 4.4 -
A bird feeding on a tree trunk Locality Glen Helen Regional Park, San Bernardino County, California, USA (United States) (ssp aculeata)
Paul Clarke 30 September 2012 26 weeks ago 30 sec 4.4 -
A bird moving down a tree trunk. Locality Claremont, Los Angeles County, California, USA (United States) (ssp aculeata)
Paul Clarke 19 September 2009 3 years ago 27 sec 4.3 -
Foraging right-side-up and upside-down along the branch of an Oak. Locality Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (ssp carolinensis)
Ken Simonite 8 July 2012 28 weeks ago 22 sec 4 -
A bird manipulating a prey Locality Bronx Zoo, New York City, New York, USA (United States)
Josep del Hoyo 24 June 2005 6 years ago 27 sec 3.8 -
An individual at a feeder (then at 30% speed). Locality Sapsucker Woods Sanctuary, Ithaca, Tompkins County, New York, USA (United States) (ssp carolinensis)
Josep del Hoyo 10 May 2011 1 year ago 20 sec 3.4 -
foraging on tree trunk Locality Hughes Hollow, McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, Montgomery County, Maryland, USA (United States) (ssp carolinensis)
Martin Kennewell 5 March 2006 1 year ago 21 sec 3.4 -
A bird pecking on a trunk Locality Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge, Long Island, New York, USA (United States) (ssp carolinensis)
Curt Kessler 31 December 2005 6 years ago 20 sec 3.3 -
An adult bird face down on a trunk, feeding Locality Ventura County, California, USA (United States) (ssp aculeata)
Don DesJardin 30 November 2002 5 years ago 15 sec 3.2 -
An adult looking for food in a tree trunk Locality California, USA (United States) (ssp aculeate)
Don DesJardin 30 June 2006 6 years ago 14 sec 3.1 -
a bird face down pecking on a tree Locality New Hampshire, USA (United States)
Wout van den Brink 20 September 2002 3 years ago 13 sec 2
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