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 found along the foothills up to about 8,000 
feet in winter, and from 7,000 to 10,000 in summer ; it is as a rule, 
though by no means strictly, confined to these limits. 
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 winter 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 flying 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 
