Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Sitta frontalis

Family: Nuthatches · Status: Very rare visitor · Size: 12–13.5 cm · Conservation: Least Concern

Range

Occurs from Peninsular India through mainland Asia to Sundaland and the western Philippines.

Identification

Bright violet-blue upperparts, pale underparts, and black forehead with a bright red bill and yellow eye, unlike any other species in Singapore. Male has a narrow black postocular stripe; female lacks this stripe and has cinnamon-buff washed underparts. In juveniles the plumage is much like that of the adult, but the bill is duller.

Habitat

Forest with extensive tree cover, including secondary woodland.

Behaviour

Forages along tree trunks and branches, frequently running upside down, alone or in groups, often as part of mixed-species flocks.