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

Justification of Red List category
This species has a very 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
This species is endemic to southeast Europe and the Caucasus, where the total population size is estimated at 256,000-944,000 mature individuals, with 128,000-472,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021). The population trend is considered unknown (BirdLife International 2021), but the species is considered to have a high dependency on forest habitat, which is estimated to be declining at a slow rate within its mapped range (Global Forest Watch 2024).

Trend justification
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This species is endemic to Europe, where it is found in southernmost European Russia, Georgia, Türkiye and the island of Lesbos, Greece. Its breeding population is estimated to be 121,000-451,000 pairs, with the majority - an estimated 100,000-400,000 breeding pairs - in Türkiye (BirdLife International 2015). Although the small population in Greece is believed to have remained stable (HOS in litt. 2008, BirdLife International 2015), the populations in Türkiye and Russia - which together constitute over 95% of the known global population - both declined during 1990-2000 (BirdLife International 2004) and the population in Türkiye declined between 2000-2012 (the trend in Russia was unknown) (BirdLife International 2015). In Russia, significant declines have been observed in the Karachay-Cherkessia, whereas numbers in the Krasnodar region appear to be stable (A. Mischenko in litt. 2005).

The species inhabits temperate coniferous forest, from sea-level up to c.2,400 m. In Türkiye, it occurs mostly between 1,000-1,600 m, mainly in forests of Austrian Pine Pinus nigra (average density: 12.7 individuals/km²), Cicilian Fir Abies cilicica (11.6 ind./km²), Lebanon Cedar Cedrus libani (8.5 ind./km²), Calabrian Pine Pinus brutia (7.8 ind./km²) and juniper Juniperus spp. (Albayrak et al. 2006, T. Albayrak in litt. 2007). In the Caucasus, it occurs mainly in the zone of spruce Picea forests between 1,000 and 2,000 m, mostly in old stands of Caucasian Fir Abies nordmanniana, but also in pine Pinus forest. Nests in Antalya, south-western Türkiye, were found in slightly decayed old tree trunks or cavities already excavated by woodpeckers in natural (non-planted) middle- or old-aged conifer forest (Albayrak and Erdogan 2005a; Albayrak and Erdogan 2005b). The most significant factors limiting breeding success were the felling of dead trees and the occupation of nest sites by Forest Dormouse Dryomys nitedula, bats, bees and other insects (Albayrak and Erdogan 2005a). It feeds largely on insects and spiders in the breeding season and chicks are fed entirely on animal material. In autumn and winter it feeds on the seeds of coniferous trees and will cache food for times of poor weather (Harrap 2008). The species is primarily sedentary but some altitudinal movement occurs in the winter (Tucker and Heath 1994).

In Türkiye, forestry is placing considerable pressure on the species's mature coniferous forest habitats (T. Albayrak in litt. 2007). Development for tourism is also a threat, particularly in coastal areas where the species was once numerous (S. Isfendiyaroglu in litt. 2005). A law for the promotion of tourism came into force in Türkiye in 2003, further exacerbating the threat from habitat loss (S. Isfendiyaroglu in litt. 2005). Urbanisation and the construction of summer houses is also a growing problem in the Mediterranean part of its range (S. Isfendiyaroglu in litt. 2005).

Conservation and Research Actions Underway
EU Birds Directive Annex I. Bern Convention Appendix II. Studies of various aspects of the species such as its breeding ecology, habitat requirements and population structure have taken place (Albayrak and Erdogan 2006, Thibault et al. 2006, Albayrak et al. 2011).

Conservation and Research Actions Proposed
Develop a Species Action Plan. Develop a monitoring programme to assess population trends. Assess threats to the species and develop appropriate responses. Follow up on ongoing research work and adopt recommendations as appropriate. A recent phylogeographic study suggests that populations in north-west, north-east and southern Türkiye are distinct groups which should be treated as separate conservation units (Albayrak et al. 2012).

Text account compilers
Martin, R., Rutherford, C.A.

Contributors
Albayrak, T., Isfendiyaroglu, S., Mischenko, A. & Shergalin, J.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Krueper's Nuthatch Sitta krueperi. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/kruepers-nuthatch-sitta-krueperi 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.