A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 1 of 3Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Science
A History of North American Birds; Land Birds; Vol. 1 of 3
Baird, Spencer Fullerton
Birds -- North America
Dr. Cooper only met with this Nuthatch in the open pine-forests about
Fort Colville, near the 49th parallel. They were associated in small
flocks about the 20th of October, when there were heavy frosts at
night. The chirping noise they made resembled the cries of young
chickens. Their habits were very similar to those of the _Psaltriparus
minimus_.
Mr. J. K. Lord found this Nuthatch an abundant bird along the entire
length of the boundary line from the coast to the Rocky Mountains. It
was also common on Vancouver Island. They were seen in large flocks in
company with the Chickadees, except during the nesting-time, which is
in June. A few were winter residents at Colville, but the greater
number left in November. He describes it as a very active bird, always
on the move. After nesting they congregate in large flocks and move
about from tree to tree, twittering a low sweet note as if singing to
themselves, now climbing back downwards along the under sides of the
topmost branches of tall pines, searching into every crevice for
insects, or, descending to the ground, clinging to the slender
flower-stalks for other insects. They nest in June, make a hole in the
dead branch of a pine, and deposit their eggs on the bare chips of the
wood. This account does not agree with the experience of California
ornithologists, who have found a loose nest within the excavation.
Mr. Ridgway found this Nuthatch abundant among the pines of the Sierra
Nevada, in the vicinity of Carson City. They were found generally in
pairs. Its note is said to greatly resemble the vociferous peeping of
some of the small Sandpipers, being sharp, loud, and distinct, and
vigorously and continuously uttered, whether climbing or flying. He
found it exceedingly hard to discover this bird among the branches, or
even when flying, owing to the swiftness and irregularity of its
flight. When the female of a pair had been killed, the male bird was
extremely loud in his lamentations. Diminutive as this bird is, Mr.
Ridgway states that it is also the noisiest of all the feathered
inhabitants of the pines, though it is less active in the pursuit of
insects than the larger species.
Nests of this bird obtained near Monterey appear to be as well made as
those of any of this genus, lining the cavity in which they are placed
and conforming to it in size and shape, the materials sufficiently
interwoven to permit removal and preservation, and warmly constructed
of feathers, wool, vegetable down, hair, and the silky efflorescence
of seeds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account