Giant Nuthatch
Sitta magna
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand
In this final chapter on Nuthatches we stay in the mountains of North Thailand and my favourite Dois of Inthanon, Luang & SanJu. In early April I had written about the Birds on the Doi which was an overview of the four mountains in North Thailand and the abundant wild and bird life inhabiting them. A couple of weeks back I had written about the beautiful Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird, and last week about the Chestnut-vented Nuthatch. This week is about the critically endangered Giant Nuthatch.
About 685 kilometers to the north of Bangkok lies the former seat of the ancient Lanna Kingdom and is considered one of the most scenic provinces in the country given its mountain ranges, valleys, flora and fauna. A land of misty mountains and colourful hill tribes, a playground for seasoned travellers, and a delight for adventurers. Despite its relatively small size and blissful calm, Chiang Mai truly has it all, a city that is still firmly Thai in its atmosphere and attitude. It is the second-largest changwat (province) of Thailand. Bordered by Chiang Rai to the northeast, Lampang and Lamphun to the south, Tak to the southwest, Mae Hong Son to the west and the Shan State of Myanmar to the north. Located in a verdant valley on the banks of the Ping River, Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 as the capital of the ancient Lanna Kingdom. Today it is a place where past and the present seamlessly merge with modern buildings standing side by side with venerable temples. Of all the places I have visited in Thailand, Chiang Mai with its forests and mountains and the historic city of Ayutthaya are by far my favourites.
This time we visit the high peak of Doi Luang in search of the Giant Nuthatch. Only once did I get some photos of this giant but they were for a very short period and precariously perched on the rather steep slope of the mountain and looking at the bird on a high perch in a mature pine at some distance. This was also the time when I didn’t have any extenders.
So all in all I am just happy that I have some photos of this critically endangered species which very soon might simply disappear.
The word Chiang itself is from North Thai, or Lanna, meaning town or city and Mai means new making Chiang Mai the New City as it was founded later than Chiang Rai, the earlier capital of King Meng Rai. The districts in the province are called amphoe, and sub-districts are called tambon. Another twist is the use of Nakhon (or Nakorn or Nakhorn), derived from the Sanskrit word Nagara, also means city, though strictly speaking it refers to a capital city such as Nakorn Sri Ayutthaya (more on Ayutthaya later). Indeed to emphasise its former status you may sometimes see Chiang Mai referred to as Nakhon Ping. Other common names of geographical features include mae (river) and doi which is north Thai for mountain - for example Doi Inthanon and Mae Ping.
The four Dois we spent our time on were Doi Inthanon, Doi Ang Khang, Doi Luang and Doi SanJu. Read about them in the Birds on the Doi.
Doi Luang & Doi SanJu in close proximity to the Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park, it is the second highest mountain in Thailand and a part of the Dan Lao Mountain range, northwest of Chiang Mai, sharing the border with Myanmar. Doi SanJu, can be easily accessed from Fang town. The mountain forest and no traffic make it easy to view birds. The entire area is very quiet, secluded and home to rare species like Mrs. Humes Pheasant, Long–tailed Sibia, Himalayan Cutia, Black–throated Tit, Black–eared Shrike Babbler, Whiskered Yuhina, Crimson–breasted Woodpecker, Fire–tailed Sunbird to name a few.
We didn’t have the good fortune to see all the species on all the mountains, that would have been impossible, but we did rack up quite a number of species - about 95 of them. This gallery is of the critically endangered Chestnut-vented Nuthatch.
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Giant Nuthatch
The nuthatch constitutes a genus, Sitta, of small passerine birds belonging to the family Sittidae. They are characterised by large heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet, nuthatches advertise their territory using loud, simple songs. Most species exhibit grey or bluish upperparts and a black eye stripe.
Most nuthatches breed in the temperate or montane woodlands of the Northern Hemisphere, although two species have adapted to rocky habitats in the warmer and drier regions of Eurasia. However, the greatest diversity is in Southern Asia, and similarities between the species have made it difficult to identify distinct species. All members of this genus nest in holes or crevices. Most species are non-migratory and live in their habitat year-round, although the North American red-breasted nuthatch migrates to warmer regions during the winter. A few nuthatch species have restricted ranges and face threats from deforestation.
Nuthatches are omnivorous, eating mostly insects, nuts, and seeds. They forage for insects hidden in or under bark by climbing along tree trunks and branches, sometimes upside-down. They forage within their territories when breeding, but they may join mixed feeding flocks at other times.
Their habit of wedging a large food item in a crevice and then hacking at it with their strong bills gives this group its English name.
The giant nuthatch (Sitta magna) is the largest species in the genus at 19.5 centimetres (7.68 in). Coloration is similar to many other nuthatches: gray above and white below, with a thick black line through the eye and a faintly rufous underpart in the female, whose eyestripe is also duller than the male. The bill is much bulkier than other Sitta.
The largest nuthatch in the world, about the size of a bulbul, it is picky in its habitat preferences and as a result generally uncommon or absent through much of its range. It requires extensive stands of mature tall pines in foothills and montane regions. Can be quite loud, giving a hoarse chatter reminiscent of a corvid; also gives a clipped fluty whistle.
Giant nuthatches are found in the mountains of southwestern China and northern Thailand, and may be extinct in Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical mountain pine forests. In northern Thailand they were found to use Pinus kesiya stands both for foraging as well as for nesting. Both parents take care of the young, and the usually three nestlings leave the nest in about 20–23 days.
The giant nuthatch is severely threatened by deforestation of its mountainous habitat in southwestern China. Because it tends to require large trees to provide the hollows required for nesting, it is very sensitive to the removal of large trees, and BirdLife International in its 2013 review up-listed the species to Endangered because it is now believed that the actual population, previously estimated at around 10,000, stands actually as low as 2,500 and continuously declining.
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