NUTHATCHES AND CREEPERS 



203 



RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH 



Sitta canadensis I. i una- us 



Other Names. — Red-bellied Nuthatcli : Canada Nut- 

 hatch ; Sapsucker (incorrect). 



General Description. — Length. 4J4 inches. Upper 

 parts, blui.sh-gray and black ; under [)arts. white and 

 reddish. 



Color. — Crown, uniform black, with a faint bluish 

 gloss; a broad Zi'hitc stripe over the eyes (e.xtending 

 from the sides of forehead to sides of nape, narrower 

 anteriorly); below this a black stripe involving the 

 lores and upper portion of ear regions and continued, 

 inore broadly, over sides of neck; back, shoulders, 

 rump, middle tail-feathers, upper tail-coverts, wing- 

 coverts, and inner wing-quills, uniform bluish-gray; 

 secondaries and primaries, dull slate color, with gray 

 edgings; tail-feathers (except middle pair), black 

 tipped with gray, the two or three outermost with a 

 band (usually interrupted) or spot of white, both the 

 gray and white most extensive on lateral tail-feather; 

 space under the eye and lower portion of ear regions 

 and lower part of sides of neck, white; chin and upper 

 throat, duller white, gradually deepening downward 



Set- ( cilor IMate 103 



tlirough pale bulT on lower throat to tatfiiy-buff or 

 reddish-bro'a'ii on flanks, anal region, and shorter under 

 tail-coverts, the longer under tail-coverts paler buff or 

 buffy white ; iris, brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Xest : In holes of stumps or 

 dead trees, preferably white birch or poplar, from 4 to 

 20 feet up; constructed of fine grass and pieces of 

 pine bark. E(;i;s: 4 to 8, grayish-white, thinly or 

 thickly spotted with red-brown around large end. 



Distribution. — Forest districts of northern North 

 America and higher mountains of United States; north 

 to Labrador, Keewatin. Yukon district, and southern 

 Alaska ; breeding southward to Massachusetts, New 

 York, Pennsylvania, northern Indiana, northern Illinois, 

 central Iowa and along the higher .'Mleghenies to west- 

 ern North Carolina; in western United States breeding 

 in spruce forests on higher mountains south to Colorado 

 and the Sierra Nevada, in California; breeding also on 

 Guadalupe Island, Lower California. In winter south 

 to or near the Gulf coast and to New Mexico and 

 Arizona, probably to northern Mexico. 



The Red-breasted Nuthatch, as may be sup- 

 posed, is disting'uished from the White-breasted 

 species by the different color of its under parts ; 

 other plumage pecuharities which may readily 

 be distinguished are the characteristic black-and- 

 white lines which run from the base of the bill 

 to the back of the head, the eve being set in the 

 center of the black streak and just touching the 

 white one. The bird is also noticeably smaller 

 than the White-breasted and prefers the conifers 

 to the hardwood trees for feeding grounds. 



The Red-breasted is perhaps even more active 



and restless than its larger relative, and rather 

 less friendly in its habits, probably because it 

 passes most of its life in the Canadian forests, 

 and therefore sees comparatively little of human 

 beings. Its call note is like that of the White- 

 breasted, but iisnally is pitched sever;d tones 

 higher; and it has another note which resembles 

 the syllal)le lint, and may be uttered in any of 

 several different pitches. 



This Nuthatch has a curious habit of placing 

 a coating of fir balsam or pitch around the en- 

 trance to its nest. 



BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH 

 Sitta pusilla Latliam 



.\ 1), U. Number 7.-9 



General Description. — Length. 4'< inches. Upper 

 parts, grayish-blue; under parts, white; head, brown. 



Color. — Entire crown and lateral portions of hind- 

 neck, together with upper half of ear regions, plain 

 light grayish-brown ; central portion of hindneck white, 

 forming a conspicuous spot ; back, shoulders, rump, 

 upper tail-coverts and lesser win.g-coverts. uniform 

 bluish-gray, the middle and greater wing-coverts, inner 

 wing-quills, and middle pair of tail-feathers similar but 

 less bluish-gray ; secondaries and primaries dull or 



slate brownish, with pale gray edgings ; tail ex- 

 cept middle pair of tail-feathers) black, the three outer- 

 most feathers broadly tipped ivith gray, the two outer- 

 most crossed by a band (incomplete) of white; sides 

 of head, chin, and upper throat white; rest of under 

 parts white, usually tinged with buff, passing into light 

 bluish-gray on sides and flanks; iris, brown. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: Excavated by the birds in 

 deafl stump or tree, from i to 40 feet up ; made of 

 small bits of grass, cotton, fine parts of pine needles. 



