Przevalski's nuthatch (Sitta przewalskii) is a bird species in the family Sittidae. Long regarded as a subspecies of the white-cheeked nuthatch (Sitta leucopsis), it nevertheless differs significantly in morphology and vocalizations. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring about 13 cm (5.1 in) in length. Its upper body is a dark gray-blue. The cheeks and throat are a white buff-orange, turning to a rich cinnamon on the underparts. The bird is endemic to areas in southeastern Tibet and west central China, inhabiting coniferous mountain forests. The species was first described in 1891 from a specimen collected in China's Haidong Prefecture. The name commemorates the Russian explorer Nikolaï Prjevalski, who discovered the species in 1884. Little is known about its ecology. It was awarded the rank of full species in 2005, separating it from the white-cheeked nuthatch. As of 2014, S. przewalskii does not have a full threat-status evaluation by BirdLife International or the IUCN. A 2014 phylogenetic study found the species to be at the base of the nuthatch evolutionary tree, dispelling a hypothesis that S. przewalskii could belong to the same species as S. carolinensis.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Przevalski%27s_nuthatch
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1329:
The Teutonic Knights succeeded in their siege of a fortress in Samogitia, Lithuania, and baptized the defenders in the Catholic rite. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Medv%C4%97galis
1790:
The Supreme Court of the United States (modern buliding pictured), the highest judicial body in the US and the head of the judicial branch of the federal government, first convened at the Merchants' Exchange Building in New York City. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States
1884:
The first fascicle of the Oxford English Dictionary, a 352-page volume that covered words from A to Ant, was published. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_English_Dictionary
1968:
The Government of Canada merged the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and the Royal Canadian Air Force into a unified structure, the Canadian Armed Forces. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Armed_Forces
1985:
Aeroflot Flight 7841 crashed shortly after takeoff from Minsk National Airport, killing fifty-eight people on board. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroflot_Flight_7841
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
cascabel: 1. A small, round, hot variety of chili pepper, Capsicum annuum, which rattles when dry. 2. A knob at the end of a cannon, cast onto the gunbarrel, to which ropes are attached in order to control recoil. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cascabel
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
I would like the angels of Heaven to be among us. I would like an abundance of peace. I would like full vessels of charity. I would like rich treasures of mercy. I would like cheerfulness to preside over all. I would like Jesus to be present. --Brigit of Kildare https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Brigit_of_Kildare