WESTERN BIRDS Nuthatch 



foothills and valleys, they are essentially dwellers of the 

 high altitudes, where they forage among the big trees in 

 the quietude of the mountains, oftentimes in company 

 with Warblers, Chickadees, and other small species. 



Like their eastern cousins, they are friendly toward 

 one another and keep up various nasal notes that are 

 similar to those of the White-breasted, being perhaps 

 softer and more subdued. 



In the mountains of southern California Slender-billed 

 daily visited a party of summer campers and ate bread 

 crumbs from their bird table, a rather unusual perform- 

 ance, since insect life, not vegetable, is their preferred 

 diet. 



The upper parts are a blue-gray with wings and tail 

 marked in black and white; under parts and sides of 

 head are white, while the top of head and back of neck 

 are a glossy black. The female differs only in having 

 the back of neck veiled in gray. 



Forbush tells us that this Nuthatch is the particular 

 guardian of the deciduous trees, preferring the oak, 

 chestnut, elm, and other hardwood trees to the pine. It 

 is a cheerful bird which often shows much curiosity, 

 coming quite near to any one attracting its attention, 

 and with head hanging downward, gives its nasal quank, 

 quank, quank, as it inspects you. This call is a peculiar, 

 weird sound, somewhat like the quack of a duck, but 

 higher keyed and with less volume, having rather a 

 musical twang. Besides this common call, there is an- 

 other that is the bird's nearest attempt at a song, a 

 monotonous hah-hah-hah given in a high key. 



Nuthatches nest in holes in trees, or posts, which they 

 sometimes hollow out themselves. The hole is lined 

 with feathers, leaves, hair, or fur, upon which from five 

 to eight eggs are laid. The female does all the brooding 

 but is fed by the male, who is ever solicitous of her wel- 

 fare and never far away. 



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