Sitta europaea

Hokkaido, Japan

Japan, the land of the rising sun is home to some spectacular habitats hosting incredible species of wildlife. I had the opportunity to visit the Kushiro-shitsugen National Park (釧路湿原国立公園, Kushiro-shitsugen Kokuritsu Kōen) located on the eastern side of the beautiful island of Hokkaido. Kushiro-shitsugen is known for its incredible wetlands ecosystems.

Kushiro-shitsugen meaning Kushiro Wetlands or Kushiro Swamp covers an area of 268.61 km² on the Kushiro Plain (Kushiro-heiya) making it the largest wetland remaining in Japan. It contains the largest tracts of reed-beds in the country. The Kushiro River, originating in Lake Kussharo, meanders through much of the park. During the Ramsar Convention of 1980, in which Japan participated, the park was first registered as a peatland with raised bogs. In 1967, the wetlands (shitsugen) themselves had been designated as a national natural monument. For that reason, access is strictly limited and the landscape, most typical of Hokkaido, has been preserved.

Reeds, sedges, peat moss wetlands, black alder thickets, rivers which bend freely back and forth, groups of lakes and marshes, and other wet ecosystems comprise a varied environment. Kushiro-shitsugen is home to over 600 species of plants. Kushiro Wetland supports rich biodiversity: It is a home to about 600 species of plants, 26 species of mammals, four species of amphibians, five species of reptiles, about 170 species of birds, 1,150 species of insects, and 34 species of fish. Aside from the Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) and the Sakhalin taimen or huchen (Hucho perryi), there are a number of species that are charismatic, rare, or endemic to the wetland. The Steller’s Sea Eagle that visits the wetland and surrounding areas is listed as Vulnerable by IUCN. Skhalin taimen is the largest freshwater fish, and its population size has decreased considerably in Japan. The Ezo salamander is relatively common across Hokkaido but is endemic to the island of Hokkaido. In Japan, the Siberian salamander (Salamandrella keyserlingii) is found only in the Kushiro Wetlands but is found widely in north-eastern Eurasia. This species can tolerate freezing of its body during winter. A handful of dragonfly species (such as the mosaic darner) is endemic to Kushiro Wetland.

The Kushiro Wetlands have been under threat from development in surrounding areas, influx of soil from surrounding hills and farmland, invasion of exotic species, and increasing area of alder woodlands. In a hope to maintain the status and ecological function of Kushiro Wetland, a multidisciplinary team of experts (representing government ministries, local governments, NGOs, and concerned citizens) has been gathered to form the Kushiro Wetland Nature Restoration Council in 2003. The council meets regularly to identify emerging threats, evaluate status of ongoing threats, and prioritise restoration projects. Following recommendations from the council, various restoration projects have been underway. Some examples of restoration projects are removal of exotic species, removal of a source of excess nutrients, restoration of meandering channels, reforestation of surrounding hills, and restoration of wetland areas from pastures on reclaimed land. A breeding pair of red-crowned cranes has returned to a recently restored wetland in the Village of Tsurui.

One of the species we had time to observe and photograph in this area and fairly close to the Kottaro Wetlands Observatory was the Eurasian/ Wood Nuthatch.

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Eurasian/ Wood Nuthatch

The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout the Palearctic and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. There are more than 20 subspecies in three main groups; birds in the west of the range have orange-buff underparts and a white throat, those in Russia have whitish underparts, and those in the east have a similar appearance to European birds, but lack the white throat.

The preferred habitat is mature deciduous or mixed woodland with large, old trees, preferably oak. Pairs hold permanent territories, and nest in tree holes, usually old woodpecker nests, but sometimes natural cavities. If the entrance to the hole is too large, the female plasters it with mud to reduce its size, and often coats the inside of the cavity too. The 6–9 red-speckled white eggs are laid on a deep base of pine or other wood chips.

The Eurasian nuthatch's breeding range extends across temperate Eurasia from Great Britain (but not Ireland) to Japan. It is found between the 16–20 °C (61–68 °F) July isotherms, north to about latitude 64°N in western Russia and 69°N in Siberia. It breeds south to the Mediterranean in Europe, although it is absent from the islands, other than Sicily, and in most of Russia the southern boundary is around 54–55°N. In the east, the range includes most of China and Taiwan and much of Korea. It has occurred as a vagrant in Lebanon and the Channel Islands, and the nominate race has been recorded a few times in Finland where S. e. asiatica is the normal form.

Most populations are sedentary, apart from some post-breeding dispersal of young birds, and there is a reluctance to cross even short stretches of open water. Northern and eastern breeders are dependent on the cones of the Siberian stone pine, and if the crop fails many birds of the S. e. asiatica subspecies may move west into northern Sweden and Finland in autumn, sometimes staying to breed. Siberian S. e. arctica may make more limited movements south and east in winter, and S. e. amurensis, from southeast Russia, is regular in winter in Korea.

Ancient deciduous woodland is a favoured habitat.

The preferred habitat is mature woodland with large, old trees, which provide extensive growth for foraging and nesting holes. In Europe, deciduous or mixed forest is favoured, particularly when containing oak. Parks, old orchards and other wooded habitats may be occupied as long as they have at least a 1 ha (2.5 acres) block of suitable trees. Particularly in mountains, old spruce and pine forests are used, and pine is also favoured in Taiwan. In most of Russia, conifers are used for nesting, but population densities are relatively low. Moroccan birds nest in oak, Atlas cedar and fir. Unusual habitats include dwarf juniper in Mongolia and rocky terrain in a limited part of southern Siberia.

The Eurasian nuthatch is primarily a lowland bird in the north of its range, but reaches the tree-line in Switzerland, at 1,200 m (3,900 ft) or higher, and breeds occasionally at 1,800–2,100 m (5,900–6,900 ft) in Austria. It breeds at similar levels in the mountains of Turkey, the Middle East and Central Asia. It is mainly a mountain bird in southern Japan, 760–2,100 m (2,490–6,890 ft), and Taiwan, 800–3,300 m (2,600–10,800 ft), but in southern China, the chestnut-vented nuthatch is the highland species, with the Eurasian species at lower levels.

The Eurasian nuthatch eats mainly insects, particularly caterpillars and beetles, although in autumn and winter its diet is supplemented with nuts and seeds. The young are fed mainly on insects, with some seeds, food items mainly being found on tree trunks and large branches. The nuthatch can forage when descending trees head first, as well as when climbing. It readily visits bird tables, eating fatty man-made food items as well as seeds. It is an inveterate hoarder, storing food year-round. Its main natural predator is the Eurasian sparrow-hawk.

Fragmentation of woodland can lead to local losses of breeding birds, but the species' range is still expanding. It has a large population and huge breeding area, and is therefore classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as being of least concern.

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