Kuthatch WESTERN BIRDS 



GENUS SITTA: WHITE-BREASTED 

 NUTHATCH. (Eastern.) 



White-Breasted Nuthatch: Sitta carolinensis 

 carolinensis. 



FAMILY— NUTHATCHES. 



The most common species of the east is the White- 

 breasted Nuthatch which breeds from northern Minne- 

 sota, central Ontario, southern Quebec, and Newfound- 

 land south to the northern parts of the Gulf States. It is, 

 however, best known as a winter visitor where in com- 

 pany with Golden-crowned Kinglets, Chickadees, and 

 Downy Woodpeckers it may be seen wandering about 

 in the forests or orchards, unmindful of human beings. 

 Quaint, interesting little creatures they, indeed, are. 



GENUS SITTA: SLENDER-BILLED 

 NUTHATCH. 



Slender-Billed Nuthatch: Sitta carolinensis aculedta. 

 FAMILY— NUTHATCHES. 



The Slender-billed Nuthatch is the western repre- 

 sentative and differs only slightly from the White- 

 breasted. Some of the wing feathers (the tertials) are a 

 dull bluish-gray, with black patch along shaft of longest 

 feather pointed at tip, while in the eastern bird it is 

 rounded at tip. To the ordinary bird student this mat- 

 ters little since to realize the difference one must have 

 them in the hand. Since their ranges do not overlap and 

 they are unlike any of their tribe there is little danger 

 of confusing them. 



Though occasionally these birds stray down to the 

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