The Bahama nuthatch is a nuthatch species endemic to the pineyards of Grand Bahama island in the Bahamas. It may be extinct as of 2019.
Region
Caribbean
Typical Environment
Historically restricted to old-growth Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis) forests on Grand Bahama. It favored open pinelands with abundant standing dead pines and snags for nesting and foraging. Birds moved through mature pine canopies and midstory, frequently using trunks and larger branches. It avoided heavily urbanized areas and dense broadleaf thickets.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 30 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Bahama nuthatch is (or was) confined to the pineyards of Grand Bahama, making it one of the most range‑restricted birds in the Caribbean. It suffered dramatic declines after hurricanes, fires, and habitat degradation, and was feared extinct following Hurricane Dorian in 2019. It forages by creeping along pine trunks and branches, probing bark for insects with a sharp, straight bill.
Temperament
active and alert
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Usually seen singly, in pairs, or small family groups, often moving methodically along trunks and branches. Nests in cavities in dead pines or old woodpecker holes; both adults feed the young. Territorial during breeding, with more tolerance of nearby conspecifics outside the nesting period.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls are squeaky and high-pitched, reminiscent of a tiny rubber-duck toy, interspersed with sharp chip notes. Song phrases are short, nasal, and repeated, carrying well across open pine habitat.
Plumage
Gray-blue upperparts with a contrasting brown cap and nape, pale whitish underparts with a light buff wash on the flanks, and a clean whitish throat. Compact body with a short tail and a straight, pointed bill. Appears sleek with smooth, close-lying feathers.
Diet
Primarily small insects and their larvae gleaned from bark, crevices, and pine cones. It probes and hammers at loose bark scales to extract hidden prey such as beetles, ants, and spiders. May occasionally take small seeds, especially from pine cones, when insect prey is scarce.
Preferred Environment
Feeds on mature Caribbean pines, especially where there are snags and rough bark that harbor invertebrates. Most foraging occurs on trunks and thick branches from near the ground into the mid-canopy.
