NUTHATCHES 343 



BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH: Sitta pusida Latham. 



State records. — The brown-headed nuthatch (fig. 28), is a 

 common resident locally in the central and southern part of 

 the State, from Cullman County southward. It may range 

 locally somewhat farther north, but has not yet been detected. 

 It is known to occur at Logan, Wilsonville, Anniston, Auburn, 

 Dean (Clay County), Tuscaloosa, Squaw Shoals (Jefferson 

 County), Ardell, Barachias, Scale, Jackson, Castleberry, Bay 

 Minette, Dothan, and Dauphin Island. At Autaugaville, 

 where this bird breeds commonly, Golsan usually finds fresh 

 eggs about April 15 ; at York, eggs were found on April 6 ;* 

 and at Greensboro Avery found a nest with fresh eggs, May 2 

 (1888). 



General habits. — This little nuthatch resorts chiefly to open 

 pine woods and old fields along the borders of such timber. 

 It is an active, restless creature, sociable in habit, and 

 although not possessed of song powers, its conversational 

 notes are cheery and of a pleasing quality. Its call notes re- 

 semble the syllables cha^cha^-cha, rapidly uttered. Brown, 

 who observed this bird in abundance at Coosada, says of it : 



In winter, when they were particularly numerous, they asso- 

 ciated in bands of from six to twenty individuals, and were 

 found everywhere in the tops of the tallest forest frees and 

 amongst the scattered pine saplings which have sprung up in 

 once cultivated fields. They were always full of life and ac- 

 tivity, not only destroying their insect prey with great industry, 

 but frequently chasing each other about in pure excess of 

 vitality. I do not think I ever saw one employed in silence for 

 a minute at a time. While busily in search of food they have 

 a subdued, conversational chatter, which almost exactly resem- 

 bles the notes usually uttered by the Goldfinch when similarly 

 employed. * * * About the beginning of March the birds began 

 to separate into pairs, and by the middle of that month had gen- 

 erally selected their nesting sites and commenced the work of 

 excavating. Rotten pine stubs afforded the favorite situations, 

 and nine-tenths of the nests I found were within six feet of the 

 ground. I opened nests at intervals up to the time of my 

 departure, and found them occupied by one, sometimes by both 

 of the owners, but met with no eggs until April 22; these (four 



•Wise, Ooloeist, vol. 6, p. 14, 1889. 



