Nuthatches
Information provided by: Avian Contributor: Jeannine Miesle
Distribution and Habitat
Also known as the Azure Nuthatch, the Blue Nuthatch (Sitta azurea) dwells in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.
This resident Nuthatch inhabits a vast range in these countries; however, populations are fragmented. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist, lowland and montane forests.
Description
Nature’s paintbrush gave the Blue Nuthatch a remarkable variety of blues: the shoulders and mantle are a medium-dark blue, while the tips of the primaries possess light blue streaks surrounded by dark blue feathering. The feathers on the back are a very light blue, while the uppertail coverts and feathers are a medium blue, the same as on the undertail feathers. The ventral feathers behind the breast are a very dark blue, while the undertail coverts and feathers are a lighter, medium shade of blue.
The white feathers around the eye stand out markedly against the deep black feathers on its head. The off-white bill tapers down to a point, and below that, the throat and breast are a buff, dusky pink to orange shade.
It measures 13.5 cm (5.25 in) in length
Diet / Feeding
Very little is known about the specific habits of this Nuthatch. It prefers invertebrates and larvae in its diet and nests in rotting trees.
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