CreatureData

Western rock nuthatch

Sitta neumayer Michahelles, 1830

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The western rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer) is a species in the family Sittidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 26.5 g to 33 g and live up to 6 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Western rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer)
Photo: David F. Belmonte · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the western rock nuthatch

Weight
26.5 g – 33 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
6 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Invertivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
rockysrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
6.3 – 7.65src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Generalistsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the western rock nuthatch live?

Not recorded

What is the western rock nuthatch?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The western rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer) is a small passerine bird which breeds from Croatia east through Greece and Turkey to Iran. This nuthatch is largely resident apart from some post-breeding dispersal. The eastern rock nuthatch Sitta tephronota is a separate species, which occurs further east in south-central Asia.

The western rock nuthatch is a bird associated with habitats with bare rocks, especially in mountainous areas. Those at the highest altitudes may move lower down in winter.

It feeds on insects and spiders in summer, supplemented with seeds and snails in winter. It feeds on the ground, and will wedge larger items in rock crevices while it hammers them open with its strong bill. It will also flycatch.

The western rock nuthatch is 13.5 cm long, slightly smaller than Eurasian nuthatch, and has the typical big nuthatch head, short tail and powerful bill and feet. It is long-legged and long-billed compared to most of its relatives.

From the Wikipedia article “Western rock nuthatch” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Western_rock_nuthatch&oldid=1322341147), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the western rock nuthatch endangered?

The western rock nuthatch is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species. What the categories mean.

How is the western rock nuthatch classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familySittidae
  6. genusSitta
  7. SpeciesSitta neumayer Michahelles, 1830

Synonyms Sitta neumager

Other names and names in other languages (54)
  • Rock nuthatchEnglish
  • Western rock-nuthatchEnglish
  • خازن البندق الصخر الغربيArabic
  • قانص البندق الصخري الغربيArabic
  • Скална зидаркаBulgarian
  • Западна скална зидаркаBulgarian
  • Pokerig-NeumayerBreton
  • pica-soques roquer occidentalCatalan
  • brhlík skalníCzech
  • delor cnau’r graigWelsh
  • KlippespætmejseDanish
  • FelsenkleiberGerman
  • ΒραχοτσοπανάκοςGreek
  • (Δυτικός) ΒραχοτσοπανάκοςGreek
  • roka sitoEsperanto
  • Trepador rupestre occidentalSpanish
  • kalju-puukoristajaEstonian
  • کمرکُلی کوچکPersian
  • kallionakkeliFinnish
  • Sittelle de NeumayerFrench
  • Cnóshnag creigeIrish
  • Scoltan creggeyScottish Gaelic
  • סיטת צוקיםHebrew
  • סיטת הצוקיםHebrew
  • brgljez kamenjarCroatian
  • kövi csuszkaHungarian
  • Szirti csuszkaHungarian
  • Սիտեղ փոքր ժայռայինArmenian
  • SteinigðaIcelandic
  • Picchio muratore di rocciaItalian
  • イワゴジュウカラJapanese
  • Berkuteyê biçûkKurdish
  • kaukazinis bukutisLithuanian
  • klinšu dzilnītisLatvian
  • лазач грнчарMacedonian
  • RotskleverDutch
  • klippespettmeisNorwegian
  • kowalik skalnyPolish
  • trepadeira-rupestrePortuguese
  • trepadeira-rupestre-do-levantePortuguese
  • Ţiclean de stâncăRomanian
  • Малый скальный поползеньRussian
  • Малый скалистый поползеньRussian
  • BáktečáihnegaccetNorthern Sami
  • brhlík skalnýSlovak
  • skalni brglezSlovenian
  • Brgljez lončarSerbian
  • klippnötväckaSwedish
  • Kaya SıvacısıTurkish
  • Kaya Sıvacı KuşuTurkish
  • повзик скельнийUkrainian
  • 岩䴓Chinese
  • 岩鳾Chinese
  • 西方岩鳾Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the western rock nuthatch

Other species in the same genus Sitta.

CompareWestern rock nuthatch vs Eurasian nuthatchWestern rock nuthatch vs Velvet-fronted nuthatchWestern rock nuthatch vs Eastern rock nuthatchWestern rock nuthatch vs Corsican nuthatch

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the western rock nuthatch?

An adult western rock nuthatch weighs 26.5 g – 33 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the western rock nuthatch endangered?

The western rock nuthatch is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

How long does the western rock nuthatch live?

The western rock nuthatch has a recorded lifespan of 6 years.

What kind of animal is the western rock nuthatch?

The western rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer) belongs to the family Sittidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Western rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/western-rock-nuthatch

MLA

“Western rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/western-rock-nuthatch.

BibTeX
@misc{western_rock_nuthatch_2026,
  title = {Western rock nuthatch (Sitta neumayer)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/western-rock-nuthatch},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}