NUTHATCHES 



(728) Sitta canadensis Linn. 

 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. 

 Ad. o^ — Plumage as shown by the 

 lower bird; a white superciliary stripe 

 separating a black postocular stripe 

 from the glossy black crown; under 

 parts white on the throat, shading 

 to yellowish-brown or deep buff; tail 

 with white on the outer feathers. 

 Ad. 9 — Similar except that the 

 black is replaced by gray and the 

 under parts are much paler, usually 

 soiled buffy-white. L., 4.50; W., 2.65; 

 T., i.ss; B., .60. Nest — In holes 

 in trees or stumps, six to forty feet 

 up; eggs white, spotted with reddish- 

 brown, .60 X .50. 



Range — Breeds from Mass., Mich, 

 and Minn, north to Newfoundland, 

 northern Quebec, Mackenzie and the 

 Yukon Valley. Winters throughout 

 the U. S. 



another tree. Queer little morsels of bird life, inconspicuous, 

 unsuspicious and with only a wiry little squeak for a voice. 

 Steady, patient workers, they undoubtedly destroy more 

 insects than the flighty Chickadees or vivacious kinglets, 

 but it is done in a listless, lifeless way that does not appeal to 

 us as much. 



In their summer homes, however, they do so far forget 

 their troubles as to sometimes utter a simple but rather pleas- 

 ing song of four or five notes, all wiry but varying in pitch. 



Family SITTIDyE. Nuthatches 



Nuthatches are the acrobats of the bird world. Although 

 not having pointed tail feathers to assist them as do wood- 

 peckers, nor claws of unusual development, they are able to 

 climb up, down or around trees, either on the upper or under 

 sides of limbs with equal facility. 



WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, or some of their 

 subspecies, are distributed over most of our country, being 



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