The Indian Subcontinent provides suitable habitats to various species of birds for residing and reproducing. Indian Nuthatches are no exception in this regard. Various Nuthatches have been recorded in India. These Nuthatches are described below.
Indian Nuthatch
Indian Nuthatch has been recorded south of the River Ganges. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. This bird has grey upper body. The belly of the bird is rufous in color. Unlike the similar Chestnut-Bellied Nuthatch, this bird has a smaller bill, a frosty crown, which is paler than the mantle and its wing and tail patterns are devoid of contrast. The bird has chestnut undertail coverts. It is the only grey-backed and rufous-bellied nuthatch in the peninsula.
Chestnut-Bellied Nuthatch
Chestnut-Bellied Nuthatch is native to India. This bird is similar to the Indian Nuthatch and Burmese Nuthatch, but has a heavier bill, crown and mantle of the same shade. This bird has contrasting markings on the wing and tail. There are large white spots on the tail of the bird.
Beautiful Nuthatch
Beautiful Nuthatch exists in the states of Sikkim, Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and south of Arunachal Pradesh in India. This bird is identified as having black and azure upper body and orange-cinnamon underparts. It has black-colored crown and upper mantle. Pale blue and white streaks are present on the crown and upper mantle of the bird. The bird has reddish-brown or dark brown iris and an irregular and dark eye stripe. Its bill is black in appearance. The greater and medium coverts are black, finely edged in white, forming two narrow wing bars. The bird has black- colored flight feathers, which are more or less lined with pale blue. The legs and feet are yellowish-brown or olive-brown or greenish-brown in appearance.
White-Tailed Nuthatch
White-Tailed Nuthatch ranges across the northern and northeastern parts of the Indian Subcontinent. This Nuthatch has rusty shade of orange color on its underparts and bright reddish brown color on its undertail coverts. The white color on the uppertail coverts usually stays hidden. The bird has buff to chestnut colored breast and belly and a small bill.
Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch
Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch has violet-blue upperparts and beige underparts. Its head is big and the forehead has a black-colored patch. It has lavender cheeks and its bill is red in appearance. The male bird has a black supercilium, whereas its female counterpart is devoid of the supercilium.
