502 Birds of Colorado 



Distribution. — The mountains of western North America from 

 British Columbia to the State of Vera Cruz in Mexico, east to Wyoming 

 and Colorado. 



The Pigmy Nuthatch is a common resident in the mountainous 

 portion of Colorado, being foiuid along the foothills up to about 8,000 

 feet in winter, and from 7,000 to 10,000 in smnmer ; it is as a rule, 

 though by no means strictly, confined to these hmits. 



It has been recorded from Estes Park (Norris) to Fort Garland 

 (Henshaw) on the eastern slopes, and from Douglas Spring, in Routt 

 CO., to Fort Lewis, in La Plata co., on the west ; it is seldom found away 

 from pine timber, and is not therefore to be met with on the plains. 



Habits. — The Pigmy Nuthatch is a gregarious bird, 

 associating in quite large flocks in mnter with Chickadees 

 and Woodpeckers, and even in summer being often 

 mixed up in flocks with Warblers and Bluebirds, and 

 squabbling with the latter and the Chickadees over 

 nest-holes. It is practically confined to coniferous 

 forest, and is seldom seen beyond its limits. It is ex- 

 cessively active and persevering in its search for insects, 

 creeping rapidly over the limbs of trees and examining 

 every crevice, and often striking with its bill like a Wood- 

 pecker with very considerable force. It is a noisy bird, 

 and its loud querulous " Weet, weet " can be easily 

 distinguished among the softer notes of the other 

 species. It is said by Trippe to capture fljnng insects 

 on the wing. 



The nest is placed in a hole in a rotten pine tree, and 

 is almost invariably excavated by the bird itself, often 

 a zone of quite tough wood having to be cut through 

 for this purpose ; the aperture is generally small, and the 

 cavity from about three to four inches in depth. Upon 

 a few chips at the bottom of the cavity is placed the 

 nest, made up of the softest materials, chiefly soft velvety 

 plant leaf, held together with cobweb, hair, feathers 

 and fibres. Though perhaps often using the same site, 

 it forms a new nest each season ; the eggs, generally 



