Sighting Sittellas

It is always a joy to find a flock of Varied Sittellas (Daphoenositta chrysoptera) and we have mentioned them in blogs here over the years. Recently, my photographer friend Chris Rowney shared with me some stunning photos.

What other bird can hop along the underside of a branch? Think of the physics of that! They feed on the bark of trees, usually hopping headfirst downwards, and if you can ever find a nest they are incredibly well-disguised with moss and bark, pasted onto a fork or branch often quite high in the tree.

This bird has completely different colours in other states – I have seen them with pure white heads in Qld. In the Northern Territory they have a jet black cap. Our Victorian one used to be called the Orange-winged Sittella – appropriately, as the photos show. Now they’re all lumped into ‘Varied Sittella’.

Sittellas do remind people who have travelled in North America or Europe of the Nuthatch which also has the pointed beak, is small and hops around on bark. It seems that they are not related at all genetically but any bird making a living on the bark of trees benefits from specialised feet, a needle beak and small size, so it is not surprising they look alike. The Nuthatch is called Sitta in Greek, so Sittella means ‘little nuthatch’.

I saw Sittellas this week and it never fails to cause great pleasure. I hope many readers can share that joy as they get out and wander the woodlands of our great land.