Krüper's nuthatch

Krüper's nuthatch (Sitta krueperi) is a small nuthatch. The name commemorates the German naturalist Theodor Johannes Krüper.

Illustration by Joseph Wolf, 1865

Krüper's nuthatch
Adult

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Genus: Sitta
Species:
S. krueperi
Binomial name
Sitta krueperi
Pelzeln, 1863

Distribution and habitat

It is found in mainly in Western Asia, where it occurs in Turkey, Georgia, Russia, and on the Greek island of Lesvos. It is associated with Turkish pine (Pinus brutia) forests.

Behaviour

The birds breed from mid March to late June in the pine forests of Antalya, Turkey.[2] They forage in pairs and when one bird finds food, calls for the other to join. Courtship includes ritual feeding of the female by the male. They nest in decayed cavities or woodpecker holes. Only the female incubates the egg while the male feeds it.[3] Males fluff up their feathers and assume a hunched posture when defending their territory. Fledglings are often seen hanging from branches.[4]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2015). "Sitta krueperi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Frankis, M.P. 1991. Krueper's Nuthatch Sitta krueperi and Turkish pine Pinus brutia: an evolving association. Sandgrouse 13: 92-97.
  3. Polivanov, V.M. and Polivanova, N.N. 1986. Sitta krueperi Pelz. Trudy Teberdinsk. Gos. Zapoved. 10: 115-121.
  4. Albayrak, Tamer, Ali Erdogan (2005) Observations on Some Behaviours of Krueper's Nuthatch (Sitta krueperi), a Little-Known West Palaearctic Bird. Turk J. Zool. 29:177-181
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