Western Rock Nuthatch

Medium sized crested bird with a relatively long and strong beak and large paws. The whole upper part is grey up to the top of the head. He has a distinctive black band that starts at the beak, passes through the eye and ends back up to the nape of the neck. The underparts are whitish except for the sides of the belly and the area under the tail which have the tint of rust. The beak is dark grey to black and the legs are grey.

It spreads from the coast of the Adriatic Sea (Croatia, Montenegro, Albania) through Greece and Turkey westwards to Iran. Also in Syria, Lebanon and Israel.

It is found in areas with low vegetation and rocks but also in areas with trees if there are rocks in between. Also in ruins and stone building complexes- which make for rocks!

It will be seen throughout Central and Western Lesvos, especially in the Petrified Forest area with its low phryganic vegetation  and vast rocky slopes.

• The Latin name of its genus (Sitta) comes from Aristotle's Sittis; probably some kind of woodpecker. The species name (neumayer) comes from the Austrian naturalist Neumayer who first described the species in Dalmatia and Croatia.
• In its area of distribution it is found only on two islands: Corfu and Lesvos!
• Its song is very loud, whistling and characteristic, which is why we probably called it a shepherd's crook! He uses it from high rocks when trying to defend his nest area from competitors.
• It feeds, basically, on invertebrates such as insects and spiders and in autumn and winter also on seeds and snails.
• It builds an elaborate clay nest that ends in a pipe-shaped entrance, very sturdy and perfectly camouflaged on the rocks. He even uses it for several consecutive years.
• In the clay of her nest she mixes insects with a repellent smell to keep it clean from intruders.
• He changes the contents of his nest (wool, soft grasses, etc.) twice a year to keep it clear of pests - kind of like stirring! The pair even use the nest for roosting outside of the breeding season.
• Pliny the Elder (1st century AD) expressed his belief that people observed the rockhopper building its nest before they decided to build their own clay houses!