[ 444 ] BIRDSOFOREGON 



6.10, wing 3.35-3.75, tail 1.90-1.10, bill .80-. 95, greatest depth of bill .13." (Bailey). 

 Nest: In natural cavities or old woodpecker holes, lined with moss, grass, fur, and 

 feathers. Eggs: 5 to 7, creamy, lightly dotted with brown and lilac. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds from southern British Columbia to northern Lower 

 California west of Cascades and Sierras. In Oregon: Permanent resident and breeding 

 species from Coast Ranges to and including Cascades and from Columbia River to 

 California line. 



THE SLENDER-BILLED NUTHATCH is found during the breeding season from 

 the Coast Ranges to the eastern edge of the timber on the Cascades 

 Bear Springs (east of Mount Hood), Wamic, Hay Creek, Jefferson County, 

 Summit Stage Station, Fremont, and Klamath Canyon just below Keno. 

 In western Oregon, it is a regular resident in the Willamette, Umpqua, 

 and Rogue River Valleys but is not yet recorded from any of the coast 

 counties. It is not a common bird throughout most of its territory and 

 is generally most abundant in the yellow-pine forests on the eastern slope 

 of the Cascades and in similar stands in eastern Jackson County on the 

 western side of the range. In the Willamette Valley, it frequents both 

 the coniferous and deciduous timber, though seeming to show some 

 preference for the oaks and cottonwood. There these nuthatches may be 

 seen in mixed flocks with chickadees, kinglets, and other nuthatches, 

 the members of this acrobatic family hanging indifferently upside down 

 or traveling head first down the trunks of some forest monarchs, busily 

 searching for insects or their eggs or larvae. 



Mearns' (1879) records from Fort Klamath for June 1875 are t ^ le ^ rst 

 for the State. These were soon followed by Merrill's (1888) notes from 

 the same locality and Anthony's (1886) records from Washington Coun- 

 ty. Woodcock (1902.) listed seven stations, all in the Willamette Valley. 

 Jewett observed a pair carrying food to a nest full of young at Gold Hill, 

 Jackson County, May 16, 1916, and Braly discovered a nest containing 

 young at Portland, May 2.3, 1931. Patterson (ms.) took eggs, May 10 

 to 1 6, 192.2.. 



Red-breasted Nuthatch: 



Sitta canadensis Linnaeus 



DESCRIPTION. "Top of head glossy black, side of head with white superciliary and 

 black eye strife; under parts reddish brown; back bluish gray; wings plain; tail with 

 white patches on outer feathers. Adult female: black of head replaced by bluish 

 gray; under parts lighter reddish brown. Young: similar, but duller. Length: 4.11- 

 4.75, wing 1.60-1.85, bill about .60." (Bailey) Nest: In small cavities in trees, 

 lined with shredded bark. Eggs: 4 to 8, white, sparingly spotted with red at 

 larger end. 



DISTRIBUTION. General: Breeds over most of timbered country of Canada south in 

 western ranges into Arizona and New Mexico, across northern tier of States and 

 south to North Carolina in eastern mountains. Winters over most of United States 



