Saskatchewan Birds – Oiseaux in the Land of Living Skies – Post #11
Saskatchewan’s slogan, “The Land of Living Skies” could refer as much to its magnificent birdlife as it does to its awe-inspiring Northern Lights and spectacular thunderstorms experienced there. This centrally located Canadian Province’s “Land of Living Skies” is home to over 400 recorded oiseaux (Fr. bird) species. Using my personal photographs in a blog post format, viewers will learn about the natural history and conservation status of these interesting birds in the Land of Living Skies!
A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain
WHAT’S IN A NAME
Red-breasted Nuthatch – Sitta canadensis
Name Roots: (Gr. sitte, “nuthatch” – of Canada)
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a small passerine bird that measures 4.5 inches in length with a wingspan of 8.5 inches and a weight of 9.9 grams. Its back and uppertail are bluish, and its underparts rust-colored. It has a black cap and eye line and a white supercilium (eyebrow).
DISTRIBUTION & OCCURENCE IN THE LAND OF LIVING SKIES
Red-breasted Nuthatches prefer mature conifer-dominated forest. In Saskatchewan, Red-breasted Nuthatches can be found in the boreal forests and Aspen Parkland.
eBird Bar Charts & Map Grid
CONSERVATION STATUS – International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Category
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Redlist Classification Justification: This species has an extremely large range, the population trend appears to be increasing, and the population size is extremely large. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Reflections of the Natural World 