Chestnut-vented Nuthatch

The chestnut-vented nuthatch is a medium-sized nuthatch 12.5–14 cm long. The upperparts are a solid blue-grey from crown to tail, with a marked black loral line extending to the base of the wing, and the underparts are uniform grey to buff with brick red on the flanks and a white undertail with a rufous border. It is found in north-east India, parts of Tibet and south-central China, descending into eastern Myanmar and north-western Thailand (Wikipedia, general species account).

It belongs to the group with the Kashmir and Eurasian nuthatches, all of which build mud entrances to their nests, typically in a hole in a tree trunk with two to five eggs; the breeding season begins between March and May. Its altitudinal range varies by locality from about 915 to 4,570 m. Its ecology is poorly known, and it often forages on the ground, on rocks and old stumps, or in trees. The song is a monotonous crackle, typically chichichichi. SoIB 2023 lists it as a resident forest bird that eats invertebrates, without a priority category (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).