Eurasian nuthatch

    Sitta europaea

Castilian: Trepador azul

Catalan: Pica-soques blau

Gallego: Gabeador azul

Euskera: Garrapoa

CLASIFICACIÓN:

Orden: Passeriformes

Family: Sittidae

Migratory status: Permanent resident

CONSERVATION STATUS:

On the National List of Threatened Species, it appears in the “Of Special Interest” category. In the 2004 edition of the Red Book of Spanish Birds (Libro Rojo de las Aves de España) it is listed as “Not Evaluated”.

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THREATS

Especially threatened by fires because it only lives in forests, being very sensitive to forest development which impedes the growth of large trees.

Length / size: 12-14 cm / 22-27 cm

Identification: It is a medium-sized bird with short and rounded wings and large and powerful legs and bill. Its head is also large and has a dark ocular stripe, while the bird does not have a neck. Its back is blue and its abdomen is reddish-brown, one of its characteristic features. Its climbing movements in tree branches and trunks, often performed upside down, are also characteristic.

Song: Quickly repeats sequences of short sounds: "chuiiiic". When looking for food, it usually makes a penetrating "zeet" sound.

Diet: It feeds on insects, arachnids, beetle larvae, butterflies and flies. It especially prefers pine nuts and hazel nuts.

Reproduction: It begins in April. The bird is very territorial and aggressive toward other species and even toward members of its own species. It places the nest in tree hollows, although it also occupies other species' nests, filling the entrance with mud if it is very large. The female is responsible for building the nest, and she uses tree bark and dead leaves; she also incubates the eggs. The chicks leave the area when they can fly.

HABITAT

It prefers mountainous areas with high amounts of precipitation; it cannot tolerate summer droughts. It avoids repopulated areas and looks for mature wet forests; it is rare in oak and cork oak forests.

DISTRIBUTION

In Spain: Common in the northern half of the country, but rare in the south, where it is limited to cool areas.

In Castile and León: Abundant in all the provinces with wooded areas and meet the bird's needs. Less common in Valladolid and absent in the dry regions in the centre. The highest densities are found in León, Segovia, Burgos and the beech groves of the Central System.

Movements and migrations: It is a sedentary species. It does not abandon its breeding areas even if the winter is long, but it can move to lower areas during winter.

POPULATION

In Spain: There is an estimated population of 200000 to 1.2 million breeding pairs.

In Castile and León: