• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	-	C2a(ii)

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Vulnerable	C2a(ii)
2018	Vulnerable	C1+2a(ii)
2016	Vulnerable	C1+2a(ii)
2013	Vulnerable	C1+2a(ii)
2012	Vulnerable	C1+2a(ii)
2010	Vulnerable	C1; C2a(ii)
2009	Least Concern
2008	Least Concern
2004	Least Concern
2000	Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1988	Near Threatened

Migratory status	altitudinal migrant	Forest dependency	high
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	3,800 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	3000-4400 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2018
Population trend	decreasing	medium	estimated	2016-2026
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	2.5%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-19%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	1-19%	-	-	-
Generation length	2.19 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	100%	-	-	-

Population justification: The global breeding population is estimated at 1,500–2,200 pairs, which equates to 3,000–4,400 mature individuals and 4,500-6,600 individuals in total (BirdLife International 2021).

Trend justification: The population size is estimated to have decreased by 2.5% (best estimate) in the past 10 years (BirdLife International 2021). The population is suspected to decline at a greater rate in the future, here tentatively placed in the band 1-19% over ten years, due to continuing deterioration in habitat quality from the loss of Corsican Pine, replaced with Maritime Pine, beech and other vegetation. There is a lack of adequate protection of the species' habitat and threats are continuing, with new ones, such as climate change, emerging.
Small, peripheral populations have gone extinct in the following locations: Santo Pietro d’Accia (due to colonization by beeches); Bois de Verdanese (due to a very small range and isolation); forêt de Pineta in the 2010s, (due to fire, and then cutting of mature stand); the fir forest of Cagna, a very isolated grove and sub-optimum habitat (Seguin et al. 2017, J.-C. Thibault in litt. 2020). 

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
France	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
France	Forêts domaniales de Corse
France	Vallée d'Asco
France	Vallée de la Restonica
France	Vallée du Verghello

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable Land	suitable	non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial	Rural Gardens	suitable	non-breeding
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	major	resident
Altitude	300 - 1500 m	Occasional altitudinal limits	0 - 1800 m

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Habitat shifting & alteration	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Other impacts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Species mortality

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Corsican Nuthatch Sitta whiteheadi. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/corsican-nuthatch-sitta-whiteheadi on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.