Behavior

The Siberian Nuthatch is presumed to behave as do other nuthatches where there is broad overlap in behaviors.

Walking, Hopping, Climbing

The Siberian Nuthatch habitually hops both up and down all parts of trees, head first, without using tail feathers for support. It moves both right-side up and upside-down. The following is likely true of all nuthatches that climb headfirst both down and up trees (47 Ghalambor, C. K., and T. E. Martin. 1999. Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). In The Birds of North America, No. 459 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Close ), and so would pertain to the Siberian Nuthatch: The ability to walk up and down trees is facilitated by laterally compressed claws, with a relatively large hallux directed posteriorly and the other 3 digits directed forward. When walking down surfaces, the nuthatch always hold one foot firmly on bark, using the hallux for support while the other foot is being moved (50 Law, J. E. (1929c). Down-tree progress of Sitta pygmaea. Condor 31:45-51. Close , 51 Zippelius, H. M. (1973). Das Kopfabwärtsklettern des Kleibers (Sitta europaea). Bonner zoologische Beiträge 24:48. Close ). When moving downward, the body rarely parallels the vertical axis of the tree, and the hallux typically clutches the bark at a right angle to the tree's vertical axis, allowing for greater control (50 Law, J. E. (1929c). Down-tree progress of Sitta pygmaea. Condor 31:45-51. Close , 51 Zippelius, H. M. (1973). Das Kopfabwärtsklettern des Kleibers (Sitta europaea). Bonner zoologische Beiträge 24:48. Close ). During upward movements only the three forward directed digits are used in climbing (50 Law, J. E. (1929c). Down-tree progress of Sitta pygmaea. Condor 31:45-51. Close ).

Flight

Likely flies swiftly over short distances with a bounding or undulating flight, as is true of most nuthatches, including the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), Pygmy Nuthatch, Sitta pygmaea, and Red-breasted Nuthatch, Sitta canadensis (52 Oberholser, H. C. (1974). The Bird Life of Texas. University of Texas Press, Austin, TX, USA. Close , 47 Ghalambor, C. K., and T. E. Martin. 1999. Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). In The Birds of North America, No. 459 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Close , 53 Kingery, Hugh E. and Cameron K. Ghalambor. (2001). Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea), version 2.0. In The Birds of North America (P. G. Rodewald, editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA. Close ).

Swimming

No information available.

No information available.

No information available.

Presumably socially monogamous, as is the Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis), White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), and Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) (54 Bent, A. C. (1948). Life histories of North American nuthatches, wrens, thrashers, and their allies. United States National Museum Bulletin 195. Close , 55 Norris, R. A. (1958b). Comparative biosystematics and life history of the nuthatches Sitta pygmaea and Sitta pusilla. University of California Publications in Zoology 56:119-300. Close , 47 Ghalambor, C. K., and T. E. Martin. 1999. Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). In The Birds of North America, No. 459 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. Close ).

No information available.

No information available.