THE RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 



"The habits of the Red-breasted Nuthatch are so like 

 those of the White-breasted that much that I have said 

 about that species is applicable to this. The most striking 

 difference is in the favorite haunts of the two birds, the 

 Red-breasted preferring the coniferous woods, or mixed 

 woods tliat contain a large proportion of evergreens. In 

 those winters when they are found in southern New Eng- 

 land, they come freely to the neighborhood of man's dwell- 

 ings and feed familiarly on the supplies provided for the 

 winter birds, but even there they show their partiality for 

 coniferous trees. They are particularly fond of the seeds 

 of pines and spruces, so that they are much more vegetar- 

 ian than their white-breasted cousins. They have the 

 same habit of hiding their savings in cracks and crev- 

 ices." ^ 



1 Educational Leaflet No. 59, National Association of Audubon Societies. 



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