The Eurasian nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe. There are more than 20 subspecies, but the precise number depends on how small differences between populations are evaluated. This article follows the 2013 Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive treatment, which has more recognised forms than the 1996 Tits, Nuthatches and Treecreepers. Given the similarities between geographical forms of the Eurasian nuthatch, subspecies boundaries are somewhat fluid, although fewer than half as many are recognised now as in 1967.

The Eurasian nuthatch taxa can be divided into three main groups; the S. e. caesia group of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, the S. e. europaea group of Scandinavia, Russia, Japan and northern China and the S. e. sinensis group of southern and eastern China and Taiwan. These may have been geographically isolated from each other until relatively recently. Birds of intermediate appearance occur where the group ranges overlap. The descriptions below are of the male. The female is usually slightly duller with a brown tint to the eyestripe and paler underparts, although the sexes are very similar in the S. e. sinensis group.

The 2025 edition of Cornell Birds of the World calls the S. e. caesia group Western and the S. e. sinensis group Chinese. It splits the S. e. europaea group into White-bellied for the first six subspecies listed below and Buff-bellied for the other seven.

S. e. caesia group The S. e. caesia group is found in much of Europe, as well as North Africa and the Middle East. Members of the subspecies group have a buff breast and a white throat.

+ Subspecies listed geographically Subspecies Authority Range Description S. e. caesia Wolf, 1810 Much of Western Europe south to northern Spain, the Alps, Greece and western Turkey, north to Denmark, and east to the western regions of Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.Upperparts blue grey, black eye-stripe, white throat. Rest of underparts orange-buff, becoming brick red at rear and on flanks. White markings on undertail. S. e. hispaniensisWitherby, 1913 Central and southern Spain, Portugal and northern Morocco Like S. e. caesia, but underparts paler pink-buff S. e. cisalpinaSachtleben, 1919 Southernmost Switzerland, Italy including Sicily, southern Croatia and southwest Montenegro Like S. e. caesia, but underparts brighter and more orange-tinted, bill shorter and more pointed S. e. levantina Hartert, 1905 Southern Turkey Like S. e. hispaniensis but underparts more pink and less buff, pale flanks, slightly paler grey upperparts S. e. persicaWitherby, 1903Southeast Turkey, northern Iraq and western IranSmall, paler grey upperparts, white forehead and supercilium, creamy underparts, bill short and thin S. e. caucasica Reichenow, 1901Northeast Turkey, southwest Russia, Georgia, Armenia and AzerbaijanSmall, dark grey upperparts, forehead often whitish, underparts bright orange-buff S. e. rubiginosa Tschusi & Zarudny, 1905 South Caucasus and northern Iran Like S. e. caucasica but upperparts darker, underparts paler, usually lacks white forehead

S. e. europaea group The S. e. europaea group is found in Scandinavia and Russia, through to Japan and northern China. Members of the group have a white breast.

+ Subspecies listed geographically Subspecies Authority Range Description S. e. europaeaLinnaeus, 1758Southern Scandinavia and the Baltic islands, western Russia, eastern Poland, Romania and Bulgaria, northwest Turkey and UkraineThe nominate subspecies. Upperparts blue-grey, black eye-stripe. Throat and underparts off-white or creamy, rusty red flanks and rear S. e. asiaticaGould, 1837 Central Russia west to Lake Baikal, north Kazakhstan and west Mongolia As nominate, but smaller. Shorter and more pointed bill, white forehead and supercilium S. e. arcticaButurlin, 1907 Northeast Siberia.Large with a narrower and shorter black eye-stripe than any other form, little white on the forehead or supercilium. Breast and centre of underparts white, flanks extensively chestnut S. e. baicalensisTaczanowski, 1882Siberia east from Lake Baikal, central Mongolia and northeast ChinaLarger than S. e. asiatica, with a longer bill and darker upperparts, little white on forehead and supercilium S. e. sakhalinensisButurlin, 1916 Sakhalin IslandMuch smaller than S. e. baicalensis with slightly paler upperparts and a white forehead. Short bill S. e. claraStejneger, 1887 Southern Kurils and Hokkaido (Japan)Larger than S. e. asiatica, relatively pale upperparts, paler more obvious white forehead and supercilium S. e. takatsukasai Momiyama, 1931 Central Kuril Islands Largest bill of all the subspecies. Pure white belly, greyer upperparts, upperparts similarly pale but not so bluish, strong white forehead and supercilium S. e. albifronsTaczanowski, 1882 Northeast Russia and the northern Kuril Islands Large with heavy bill, dark upperparts, buff tint to belly S. e. amurensisR. Swinhoe, 1871Russian Manchuria, Primorsky Krai (Russia), northeast China and Korea Large with massive bill, upperparts darker than S. e. baicalensis, little white, if any, on white of forehead or supercilium S. e. hondoensisButurlin, 1916Honshu, Shikoku and northern Kyushu (Japan) Similar to S. e. amurensis, but upperparts slightly paler and bluer, prominent white forehead and supercilium, bill slightly smaller S. e. roseilliaBonaparte, 1850 Southern Kyushu Similar to S. e. amurensis, but upperparts darker, lower breast and belly more rufous-tinged S. e. bedfordiOgilvie-Grant, 1909 Cheju Island, South Korea Similar to S. e. roseillia, but throat and breast whiter and belly darker orange-buff S. e. seorsaPortenko, 1955 Northwest China Like S. e. asiatica but slightly larger, white of forehead and supercilium more prominent and belly pale buff

S. e. sinensis group Subspecies in the S. e. sinensis group are found in south and east China, as well as Taiwan. They have a buff breast and throat.

+ Subspecies listed geographically Subspecies Authority Range Description S. e. sinensisVerreaux, 1870 South and east China Throat and underparts pale buff, brighter on sides, rear flanks brick-red S. e. formosanaButurlin, 1911 Taiwan Like S. e. sinensis but smaller with longer bill, pale upperparts and whitish forehead

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