White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
Family: Sittidae
Song
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The White-breasted Nuthatch has a short neck, broad shoulders, beady black
eyes, blue gray above, and a glossy black cap and nape, clear white below,
sides of face and neck are white,
white patches on each side of the tail and the flanks are tawny. The
bird measures 5-6" in length with a wingspread of 9 1/4-11 1/2". Sexes
are alike.
This bird spends most of it's life in large trees in areas such as
forests, farm woodlots, country towns and parks. White-breasted Nuthatches
work their way down a tree trunk searching for grubs and insects in the
bark crevices that other up-climbing tree foragers, such as the woodpecker,
would miss. He can hang upside down, swinging from tiny branches. Sometimes
you will find the White-breasted hopping about on the ground under trees
in search of nuts and insects.
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