Photo: Len Blumin / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pygmy Nuthatch
Sitta pygmaea
Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) is a member of the Sittidae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 10.6 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Sittidae Nuthatches
- Genus Sitta
- Species pygmaea
Quick facts
- Weight
- 10.6 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Sittidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Endangered
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pygmy Nuthatch is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Pygmy Nuthatch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) is a member of the Sittidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA sw Canada to w Mexico.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 10.6 g, with a wing length of about 6.6 cm and a tail of around 3.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 2 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pygmy Nuthatch?
The Pygmy Nuthatch is a very small bird that weighs around 10.6 g.
Where does the Pygmy Nuthatch live?
The Pygmy Nuthatch is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA sw Canada to w Mexico, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Pygmy Nuthatch belong to?
The Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) belongs to the Sittidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Pygmy Nuthatch eat?
The Pygmy Nuthatch is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Pygmy Nuthatch migrate?
The Pygmy Nuthatch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Pygmy Nuthatch endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Pygmy Nuthatch make?
1 real field recording of the Pygmy Nuthatch — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Pygmy Nuthatch's range?
The Pygmy Nuthatch has a mapped global range of about 2 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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