Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range and the population size is very large, hence does not approach threatened thresholds for the range or population size criteria. The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 33,400-107,000 mature individuals, with 16,700-53,400 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 5% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 668,000-2,140,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. In Europe the trend for this species is not known (BirdLife International 2021). As no other data are available to derive trends, the global population trend for this species is unknown.
Trend justification
.
This is a species of rocky mountain slopes and valleys, cliffs, ravines and gorges. It may favour streams, and its distribution is closely correlated to a milk-vetch-wormwood-Rosaceae (Astragalus-Artemesia-Rosaceae) vegetation community, including almonds (Prunus dulcis) and pistachios (Pistacia vera). The breeding season is from late February/mid-March in southern Tajikistan, south-east Iran and Pakistan, from late March/April in the Transcaucasus area breeding begins from late March or April and from late April in eastern Kazakhstan. Both sexes build the nest, which is a flask-shaped structure built usually over a crack, cavity or hole in rock face, tree, riverbank or building. The hole may be a natural one, excavated by birds themselves, or the abandoned hole of another species. The entrance is walled up with a mixture of mud, saliva, excrement, resin, feathers, hair, cloth, insect fragments and even sweet papers, leaving a small hole or short conical entrance tunnel. The nest may be reused over several years. Clutches are typically five to seven eggs. In the summer it feeds mainly on insects and snails (Gastropoda) and from autumn to early spring it takes mostly seeds, such as those of apricot (Prunus armeniaca), cherry (Prunus) and wild almond. The species is resident with some post-breeding dispersal (Harrap 2015).
The species may suffer the effects of future climate change (Menon et al. 2009).
Conservation Actions Underway
Bern Convention Appendix II. There are currently no known conservation measures for this species within its small European range.
Conservation Actions Proposed
No conservation measures are currently needed for this species within its small European range.
Text account compilers
Martin, R., Rutherford, C.A.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Eastern Rock Nuthatch Sitta tephronota. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/eastern-rock-nuthatch-sitta-tephronota on 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.