The beautiful nuthatch has always been rare and very localized throughout its distribution, perhaps due to very specific ecological requirements, though this has been questioned as not in keeping with the diversity of habitats in which S. formosa has been observed.
S. formosa sempre foi moi rara e cunha distribución moi localizada, quizais debido aos seus requirimentos específicos ecolóxicos, aínda que isto foi cuestionado, xa que non concorda coa divdersidade de hábitats nos que foi observada a especie.