The White-breasted, Nuthatches 
Nesting. — Nest: A deserted woodpecker hole, or newly made cavity in stump 
or tree, usually at a considerable height from ground; and lined with leaves, feathers, 
or hair; often rabbit-fur is used exclusively. Eggs: 5 to 8, sometimes 9 or even 10; 
white, thickly speckled and spotted with reddish brown (mikado brown, pecan-brown). 
Av. size 18.3 x 13.5 (.72 x .53). Season: April, May; one brood. 
Range of Sitta carolinensis. —Temperate North America south, in the moun¬ 
tains, to Coahuila and Lower California. 
Range of S. c. aculeata. —Pacific Coast States and British Columbia (to Ash¬ 
croft); in the northern portion of its range east to the Cascades. Non-migratory. 
Distribution in California. — Resident in Transition and Boreal zones, prac¬ 
tically throughout the State, save in the humid northwestern coast strip, and in the 
desert ranges (where replaced by 5 . c. tenuissima) ; also breeding locally in the oak-belt 
of the Upper Sonoran zone. Wanders to lower levels and casually to the deserts in 
winter. 
Authorities.—Gambel ( Sitta carolinensis ), Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ser. 
3, iii., 1846, p. 112, part (Calif.); Feilner, Ann. Rep. Smith. Inst, for 1864 (1865), p. 425 
(Fort Crook; habits); Carriger, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, vol. 1, 1899, p. 83 (nesting 
habits); Beal, U. S. Dept. Agric., Biol. Surv. Bull., no. 30, 1907, p. 68 (general nature of 
food); Grinnell, Univ. Calif. Pub. Zool. vol. v., 1908, p. 123 (San Bernardino Mts.; 
nests, etc.). 
QUOOK-quook-quo-ew-ew-ew-ew, goes the California Screech Owl in 
broad daylight. There is an instant hush on the oak-clad hillside— 
a hush followed by an excited murmur of inquiry among the scattered 
members of a winter bird-troop. If you happen to be the Screech Owl, 
seated motionless at the base of some large tree and half obscured in its 
shadows, perhaps the first intimation you will have that the search party 
is on your trail will be the click, click, click, of tiny claws on the tree- 
bole above your head, followed by a quank of interrogation, almost 
comical for its mixture of baffled anxiety and dawning suspicion of the 
truth. He is an inquisitive fellow, this Nuthatch, for, you see, prying 
is his business; but he is brave, as well. The chances are that he will 
venture down within a foot or two of your face before he flutters off 
with a loud outcry of alarm. When excited, as when regarding a sus¬ 
picious object, he has an odd fashion of rapidly right-and-left facing 
on a horizontal bough,—swapping ends, as Jones puts it—as though 
to try both eyes on you and lose no time between. 
Nuthatch is the acknowledged acrobat of the woods—not that he 
acts for display; it is all business with him. A tree is a complete gym¬ 
nasium in itself, and the bird is master of it all. In all positions, any side 
up, this bird is there, fearless, confident; in fact, he rather prefers traveling 
head downward, especially on the main trunk route. He pries under 
bark-scales and lichens, peers into crevices, and explores cavities in his 
search for tiny insects, larvae, and insects’ eggs, especially the last-named. 
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