#varied sittella

[flight-freeze-frame]

Varied Sittella (Daphoenositta chrysoptera)

© Jennifer Spry

[birdstudies]

September 29, 2017 - Varied Sittella, Australian Nuthatch, Orange-winged Sittella, or Barkpecker (Daphoenositta chrysoptera)

Found in woodlands throughout much of Australia, there are five subspecies of these birds which vary quite a bit in their patterning. They eat insects, searching for prey as they move down tree trunks or along branches. Their deep cup-shaped nests are built from bark and spiderweb in the forks of branches. Often breeding cooperatively, pairs may have several helpers, though only breeding females incubate the eggs and brood the chicks.