Red-breasted Nuthatch - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

Like all nuthatches, the Red-breasted Nuthatch is assigned to the genus Sitta (Linnaeus, 1758), a name derived from sittē (σιττη), the Ancient Greek word for the Eurasian Nuthatch. The specific epithet canadensis is New Latin for "belonging to Canada". The species was given its scientific name by Carl Linnaeus in 1766, based on a specimen collected in Canada. "Nuthatch" is a linguistic corruption of "nuthack", referring to the bird's habit of wedging nuts into cracks in tree bark and hacking at them until they break open. "Red-breasted" is a reference to the rusty colour of the male's underparts.

In the past, the Red-breasted Nuthatch and four other species — the Corsican Nuthatch, the Chinese Nuthatch, the Algerian Nuthatch and the Krüper's Nuthatch — were thought to be a single species. These five make up a well-defined species group known as the "Sitta canadensis group", and are sometimes considered to be a superspecies. Within the species group, DNA studies have shown that the Red-breasted Nuthatch, the Corsican Nuthatch and the Chinese Nuthatch make up one clade and the Algerian Nuthatch and Krüper's Nuthatch make up a sister clade. The Red-breasted Nuthatch is monotypic across its extensive range.