Sitta przewalskii
Silhouette: Alan and Elaine Wilson (Modified) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Przevalski's nuthatch (Sitta przewalskii) is a bird species in the family Sittidae, collectively known as nuthatches. Long regarded as a subspecies of the white-cheeked nuthatch (Sitta leucopsis), it nevertheless differs significantly in morphology and vocal behaviour. Both S. przewalskii and S. leucopsis have been regarded in the past as closely related to the North American white-breasted nuthatch (S. carolinensis), but this is not supported by modern genetic research. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring about 13 cm (5 in) in length. Its upper body is a dark grey-blue or slate colour, becoming dark blue-black at the crown. The cheeks and throat are a pale buff-orange, turning to a rich cinnamon on the underparts that intensifies on the sides of the breast. The calls consist of alternating series of ascending whistles and short notes.
The bird is endemic to areas in southeastern Tibet and west central China, including eastern Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan, inhabiting coniferous montane forest of spruce (Picea) and fir (Abies). The altitude at which it nests varies according to locality, but typically is from 2,250–4,500 m (7,380–14,760 ft). The species was first described in 1891 from a specimen collected in China's Haidong Prefecture. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the Russian explorer Nikolay Przhevalsky, who first recorded the species in 1884. Little is known about its ecology, which is probably comparable to that of other nuthatches.
It was given the rank of full species (separate from the white-cheeked nuthatch) in 2005 in Pamela C. Rasmussen's Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Other authorities followed suit; phylogenetic studies in 2014 and 2020 found it to be one of a basal pair, with S. leucopsis, of the nuthatch evolutionary tree out of all species examined, dispelling a hypothesis that S. przewalskii could be related S. carolinensis. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jiuzhaigou National Park | 🇨🇳 China |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Przevalski's Nuthatch sighting in Jiuzhaigou National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 54th most-seen of the 131 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June, August–September and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Przevalski's Nuthatch in Jiuzhaigou National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May, the lowest month. January to March have too few records to rate.
Only Jiuzhaigou National Park, in our data
Jiuzhaigou National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Przevalski's Nuthatch sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same genus: Sitta
The closest relatives of the Przevalski's Nuthatch that you can see in Jiuzhaigou National Park (genus Sitta, Nuthatches) are Snowy-browed Nuthatch (about 10%) and Eurasian Nuthatch (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Przevalski's Nuthatch is recorded against all the birds logged in Jiuzhaigou National Park (23 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
