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>
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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>
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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>
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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>