Nuthatch Identification

The first charming bird described above is the White-breasted Nuthatch. This jolly little fellow somehow reminds us of a miniature penguin. It is a true bird watching delight to observe him going right-side-up and upside down the trunks of the trees in our garden, as though he were hopping on the steps of an invisible ladder. The nuthatch is an active and inquisitve, tree-clinging bird, and uses its sharp beak to good feeding purpose.

It is non-migratory and stores food behind loose bark on trees. It does appreciate a good nuthatch birdfeeder. It lays 5-9, white, spotted eggs in a hole dug in a tree.

Another delightful Nuthatch is the Red-breasted Nuthatch which features a black and white striped head and a red underbelly. It is slighly smaller than the White-breasted nuthatch and lives throughout the United States. In years of poor harvest, this active bird migrates in large numbers to southern forest regions. Apart from seeds, they eat insects.

The last member of the Nuthatch family is the Pygmy Nuthatch. This tiny bird is between 3 3/4" - 4 1/2" in size. It is blue-grey above with a brown cap and creamy below. It inhabits coniferous forests from British Colombia through the Black Hills and south to Baja and Mexico. Like all nuthatches, it feeds on bark insects and seeds. The Pygmy nuthatch is inconspicuous, and birdwatching for it requires patience, and sometimes a good pair of bird watching binoculars.

How happy we feel watching these agile, industrious birds when we are lucky enough to have them visit the trees or the bird feeder in the garden!