Chickadees and Nuthatches. 



Order, Passeres. 

 Family, Paridae. 



Family Characteristics: Permanent residents. More or less black 

 and white. Smaller than sparrows. Gather food from limbs and 

 trunks of trees. Not red-headed like woodpeckers nor do they support 

 themselves by their tail-feathers. Insect-eaters and of special value 

 to horticulturalists. 



735. CHICKADEE. Par us atricapillus. An inch shorter than 

 the English sparrow. Crown and throat black. Gray above with white 

 cheeks. Soiled white below. Most easily identified by its note. 



727. WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Sitta carolinensis. Length 

 six inches. Black crown and neck. Bluish-drab above with some white 

 on points. White below. Climbs trees up or down head first. Active 

 and nervous. Called "Devil-downhead." Bill rather long. 



728. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Sitta canadensis. Hardly 

 five inches long. Bluish-drab above. Head marked with black and 

 white. Neck black. Breast brownish-red. Some white on points. 



731. TUFTED TITMOUSE. Baeolophus Ucolor. Six inches long. 

 Crested. Drab above, dull white below. Dull black cap and black bill. 

 Rare on the prairies as are all birds that nest in tree-holes. 



CHICKADEE. 



This little black-capped titmouse can be told on sight by the 

 merest novice. His black cap and downy feathers are not the 

 only telltales but his manner of hopping about the trees as well. 

 It makes no difference to him whether he is above or beneath them 

 provided always he can find the eggs of the cankerworm and a 

 good supply of tiny insects. 



Every little while he will pronounce his name for you too 

 * * Chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee ". There is no mistaking it. You could 

 not pronounce it better yourself. 



He is called one of the snow-birds and he certainly delights 



