For Anyone Interested in the Wildlife of the U.K.
Nuthatches
Scientific name: Sitta europaea
Size: Approx 14cm
Distribution: Found in England and Wales
Months seen: All year round
Habitat: Woodlands, parks and gardens
Food: Invertebrates, seeds and nuts
Special features: Nuthatches have a stocky body, large head and they look as if they have no neck. They move in a jerky way, rarely on the ground, and have the ability to walk head first down tree trunks.
The nuthatch plumage is blue-grey on the top of the head and back, and a buff colour underneath and on the breast. The beak is grey and there is a braod black eye-stripe which runs from the beak to the front of the wing. Below the eyestripe the cheeks are white.
Nuthatches nest in holes in trees, but rather than break a hole in the trunk of the tree they look for ready made holes. If the entrance to the hole is too big they build a ring of mud around the edge to keep predators out.
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