Algerian nuthatch

The Kabyle nuthatch is the only bird species endemic to Algeria, where it now inhabits only certain coniferous and broadleaf forests in the Kabylia region in the north of the country.The bird has only a limited and relict range, threatened by fire, erosion and human action; the species is therefore considered "endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.Ledant was finally accompanied by Jacques Vielliard in mid-April 1976 to observe nesting, which actually occurred later in the year due to the massif range's difficult climatic conditions.They had to wait until July to observe feeding behaviour and a few fledglings, as well as to make recordings and call trials with songs of Corsican and Krüper nuthatches.[6][9][10] Kept in the describer's house, these specimens (the holotype and paratype) were seriously damaged after 2005 by insects, and were finally given to the National Museum of Natural History, France in 2015.[11] The Algerian nuthatch was formally described in the journal Alauda by Jacques Vielliard in 1976 under its current name of Sitta ledanti.[16] In his 1976 description of the Algerian nuthatch, Vielliard devotes a portion of his paper to the possible relationships of the different species and their evolutionary history.The second clade, which includes Krüper's and Algerian nuthatches, have the front of the crown black in males, with this sexually dimorphic trait absent in juveniles.[2] The bird may also produce a rapid trill in di-du-di-du-di-du, and when agitated, it emit a harsh and repeated chèèh[3] comparable to the call of a jay.[21]The breeding season occurs from May to June in Tamentout and Mount Babor, earlier or later depending on weather conditions and food availability; at higher altitudes it may start later.[12] The bottom is lined with plant debris (wood chips, dead leaves) or animal material such as western barn owl (Tyto alba) feathers or wild boar (Sus scrofa) hair.[25] On 24 September of the same year, two amateur ornithologists, Karim Haddad and Larbi Afoutni, went to the site; about twenty individuals were observed and photographed in the Lerabaa forest.[26] When the Algerian nuthatch was discovered, ornithologists estimated that the species numbered only a dozen pairs and it was feared that "its rarity would attract collectors" and that the announcement of its discovery would cause its disappearance.[2][21] The construction of a motor road in the 1970s, which led to soil erosion and an increased risk of fire, or the fight against terrorism in the region, which is a source of disturbance for the species.[21][24] The Algerian nuthatch may have several predators during incubation, such as the weasel (Mustela nivalis), the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) and the great spotted woodpecker.However, protective measures have already been put forward, including habitat restoration or preservation through reforestation, planting of firewood outside of existing forests, and fire prevention.
A grey bird with brown body, gleaning
A female Algerian nuthatch, with very little black on the crown, barely spotting the front of the forehead.
A grey bird with white face and orange body at the branch of tree
The male Krüper's nuthatch has the front half of the crown black, like the Algerian nuthatch; it is the closest relative of the latter species.
A grey bird inside the tree hole
Algerian nuthatch at nest, in a tree cavity.
A grey bird at the branch of tree
An individual photographed near Minar Zarza , in the southeast of the species' distribution.
Conservation statusEndangeredIUCN 3.1Scientific classificationEukaryotaAnimaliaChordataPasseriformesSittidaeBinomial namespeciessedentaryarthropodsendemicAlgeriaconiferousbroadleafforestsKabyliascientific nameKrüper's nuthatchrelicterosionInternational Union for Conservation of Natureundertail covertssuperciliumplumagepigmentationEurasian nuthatchMoroccanCorsican nuthatchphylogeneticallyAcademy of SciencesmassiffledglingsholotypeparatypeNational Museum of Natural History, FranceBabor MountainsLe MondeMaghrebAtlas MountainssubgenusSergei ButurlinsubspeciesCharles Vauriered-breasted nuthatchChinese nuthatchevolutionarymorphologicalfossilMiocenecytochrome bmitochondrial DNAsister grouptaxonomicnuclearYunnan nuthatchsexually dimorphiccladogramphylogenetic analysisPaul GéroudetconifersMediterranean basinMessinian salinity crisisinsectscaterpillarsbeetlesspidersoak treesmixed feeding flocksTaza National Parkgreat spotted woodpeckerwestern barn owlwild boarClutchespost-nuptial moultGuerrouchDjimlaJijel provincePetite KabylieItalian mapleAlgerian firAtlas cedarAfares oakcork oakPortuguese oakAlgerian oakMinar Zarzadeforestationweaselgarden dormouseBirdLife InternationalU.S. federal governmentFederal Registerflagship speciesIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesBirding WorldSvensson, L.Mullarney, K.Zetterström, D.Collins Bird GuideResearchGateJournal of OrnithologyChristopher HelmWikidataWikispeciesAvibaseBirdLifeEURINGiNaturalistObservation.orgOpen Tree of LifeXeno-canto