NUTHATCHES

 

White-breasted Nuthatch, Portal, AZ
(Sitta carolinensis)
Copyright © Don Baccus (dhogaza@pacifier.com)

 

     A discussion of unforgettable or "character" birds would not be complete without mentioning the Nuthatches, or as indicated in one of the references:

     "Nuthatches are among the easiest birds to describe to non-birdwatchers: if you see a bird climbing down a tree head first, it can only be a nuthatch; if it only climbs upwards, it is something else!"

     Nuthatches manage this acrobatic feat by freely "walking", one foot at a time, around or up and down the tree. It does this so quickly that only a movie camera can verify it. It can be quite a comical appearance - the amazing mechanical bird!

     "No other climbing bird performs this way except for a few unrelated "nuthatch mimics", the most well-known being the Australian sittellas." (I was unable to find any more information on the Australian sittellas, especially a photograph)

      When moving on a flat smooth surface, such as a deck railing, the Nuthatch hops like a sparrow.

     Nuthatches, about the size of a sparrow, are somewhat solitary and reclusive. I can recall seeing only two (white-breasted) around a feeder at one time, and usually only one, showing up when a group of chickadees came to feed. It's possible that they, like other birds, follow the chickadees on their feeding routes. I have not noticed their "song" beyond a somewhat timid "nasal honk".

© Aarre Ertolahti

     Another, smaller and less numerous species is the "Red breasted Nuthatch" shown in the photo to the right. The photo was taken by Aarre Ertolahti in Lappe, Ontario. He managed to photograph the bird while holding his digital camera in his right hand on Christmas Day, 2002, " as it sat on my left hand choosing just the right sunflower seed!" Click on the photograph for a larger image ('back' to return).

     From my observations, the white-breasted Nuthatch takes no nonsense from Chickadees in competition at a feeder, it simply ignores them and takes what it wants.

     A chickadee eats a seed by holding it with its feet and pecking out the meat from the shell, whereas the nuthatch takes the seed and wedges it into a crevice (tree trunk scale, roof shingle etc.) and then pecks out the meat. The noise of pecking out the meat around roof shingles can be quite noticeable and a good indicator that a nuthatch is at hand!

     The ROM lists the White-breasted Nuthatch as one of the common birds of Metropolitan Toronto, so don't be surprised if you spot one on your walks through the parks!

      Being only a balcony Bird Watcher, I have not made an extensive study of Nuthatches. I have simply watched them, found their behaviour very interesting, enjoyed having them visit a yard feeder and appreciated their presence. The following excellent reference links, mostly by Dr. Erik Matthysen, University of Antwerp, Belgium, are provided. They are well worth visiting!

     Enjoy!

 

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REFERENCE LINKS:

Electronic  The Electronic Nuthatch, by Dr. Erik Matthysen, University of Antwerp

Introduction  Introduction to the Nuthatches

ROM Nuthatch  ROM Metro Toronto Crow, Chickadee, White-breasted Nuthatch (with sound)

Red-breasted  Hinterland Who's Who...The Red-breasted Nuthatch. This is an excellent article on the Red-breasted Nuthatch and much of what is said probably applies equally to the White-breasted species.

Red-breasted  Another article on the Red-breasted Nuthatch - very detailed.

Red-breasted  Photograph of Red-breasted Nuthatch.

White-breasted  A detailed article on the white-breasted Nuthatch. Note that the female (not shown) does not have the black top - the top is gray.

Nova Scotia  Backyard Birds of Winter in Nova Scotia

 

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THE FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS / NATURALISTS

Don Baccus "Nature photos, on-line guides, and other goodies". Don's photographs (along with more information) can also be found on my "Kingfisher", and "Black-crowned Night Heron" pages.

  Aarre Ertolahti publishes a Finnish language weekly newspaper "Canadan Sanomat " in Thunder Bay, Ontario. and is also webmaster of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists ( TBFN ).   Many more of his photographs can be found at both of these websites.

     He has a section (with photos) on the use of digital cameras at: "Bird Closeups with a Digital Camera" )

      Additional photographs by Aarre Ertolahti can also be found in the "Birding", "Gray Jay", and "Ovenbird" pages of this website.

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