What does a Corsican Nuthatch sound like - Bird song - Bird sounds

#birds #birdsounds #fieldrecordings The Corsican Nuthatch (Sitta whiteheadi) has a surprisingly distinctive voice. It is quite different from the familiar Eurasian Nuthatch. What to listen for Its contact call is a light, almost delicate whistled “pu”, usually repeated rapidly: “pu-pu-pu-pu-pu” It can sound like a very short, soft whistle coming from high in the Corsican pine canopy. Its song is faster and more energetic — a clear, ringing series of notes described roughly as: “di-di-di-di-di-di…” with a slightly variable rhythm. Some descriptions give it a more flowing “diou-diou-diou” quality. When alarmed or excited, it becomes much harsher, with calls resembling: “psch-psch-psch” or “chay-chay-chay” and sometimes a rough “sch-wer, sch-wer.” Habitat It is endemic to Corsica, meaning it occurs nowhere else in the world. It lives mainly in the mountainous interior of Corsica, almost exclusively in mature forests of Corsican pine (Pinus nigra laricio). It particularly favours old, tall Corsican pines rather than young plantations. These older trees provide both its main food supply and the old or damaged wood it needs for nesting. They are remarkably sedentary. A pair can remain on the same territory throughout the year, typically covering several hectares. Food Its diet changes with the seasons: Winter: mainly Corsican pine seeds. Spring and summer: mostly insects and other arthropods, including insect larvae and spiders. It also catches some insects in flight, but most food is picked from branches, trunks, foliage and other parts of the trees. One particularly interesting behaviour is food caching. When pine cones are open, it takes seeds and hides them under bark or among lichens and vegetation on branches. It retrieves them later when cold or wet weather makes the cones inaccessible. Nest This is where old trees become particularly important. The Corsican Nuthatch normally nests in holes in dead or partly dead wood, including dead parts of living trees. It favours old trees that have become softened by decay, insects or sometimes lightning damage. The nest hole may be several metres above the ground, often in a snag or dead section of a living tree. The entrance is relatively small, which helps protect the nest. Breeding generally takes place in April–May, although the timing can vary according to how much pine seed was available during the preceding winter. A typical clutch is around four to six eggs. Why the old pine forest matters There's a fascinating relationship between the bird and its habitat: the mature Corsican pine provides virtually everything it needs — food, nesting sites and year-round territory. Consequently, loss of old pine forest through fires, logging and habitat fragmentation is a major conservation concern. Interesting facts about the Corsican Nuthatch It lives nowhere else on Earth. The Corsican Nuthatch is endemic to Corsica, making it one of Europe's true island specialists. It is a bird of the mountains. It is strongly associated with mature Corsican pine forests, particularly in the mountainous interior of the island. It can climb head-first down trees. Like other nuthatches, it can move down trunks and branches with its head pointing towards the ground — something woodpeckers generally don't do. The pine tree is its supermarket. Corsican pine seeds are an important part of its diet, particularly in winter. The bird has adapted remarkably closely to this tree. It stores food for later. It hides surplus pine seeds in cracks, under bark and among vegetation, creating little food reserves that it can return to when food is harder to find. It doesn't migrate. Unlike many European woodland birds, Corsican Nuthatches generally remain within their territory throughout the year. Pairs defend territories together. A male and female typically form a pair and defend a territory, rather than wandering widely around the forest. It needs old trees. Dead and decaying sections of mature pines provide valuable nesting cavities. This means that removing old or dead trees can remove potential nest sites even when the forest itself remains. It is tiny. At roughly 12 cm long, it is a small bird — around the size of a Blue Tit — but it has the characteristic powerful bill and compact shape of a nuthatch. It has an unusual distribution. Its range is highly fragmented because suitable mature Corsican pine woodland occurs in separate mountain areas. This makes individual forest populations particularly important. It was described relatively recently. The species was formally described by the British ornithologist Richard Bowdler Sharpe in 1884. It is an excellent example of island evolution. Its isolation on Corsica has allowed it to develop into a distinct species that is highly specialised to the island's pine forests.