Pygmy Nuthatch - 3
(Sitta pygmaea) Bertram Creek Regional Park, south of Kelowna, BC.
From Cornell's Lab of Ornithology: "Small even by nuthatch standards, Pygmy Nuthatches are tiny bundles of hyperactive energy that climb up and down ponderosa pines giving rubber-ducky calls to their flockmates. Their buffy-white underparts set off a crisp brown head, slate-gray back, and sharp, straight bill. Pygmy Nuthatches breed in large extended-family groups, which is one reason why you’ll often see a half-dozen at a time. Look for them in open forests of older ponderosa pines across the West."
and
"Pygmy Nuthatches live in pine forests in western North America; they especially favor mature Ponderosa Pine forests. They are typically found at lower and middle elevations where ponderosa pine grows, but can sometimes occur up to 10,000 feet."
and
"The Brown-headed Nuthatch of the southeastern U.S. looks very similar to the Pygmy Nuthatch, but their ranges don’t overlap: Brown-headed Nuthatches don’t get any farther west than eastern Texas."
More here: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pygmy_Nuthatch/lifehistory
PERSONAL OBSERVATION: the head plumage of our PYNUs, it seems to me, is less brown than that of the eastern cousin....
Pygmy Nuthatch - 3
(Sitta pygmaea) Bertram Creek Regional Park, south of Kelowna, BC.
From Cornell's Lab of Ornithology: "Small even by nuthatch standards, Pygmy Nuthatches are tiny bundles of hyperactive energy that climb up and down ponderosa pines giving rubber-ducky calls to their flockmates. Their buffy-white underparts set off a crisp brown head, slate-gray back, and sharp, straight bill. Pygmy Nuthatches breed in large extended-family groups, which is one reason why you’ll often see a half-dozen at a time. Look for them in open forests of older ponderosa pines across the West."
and
"Pygmy Nuthatches live in pine forests in western North America; they especially favor mature Ponderosa Pine forests. They are typically found at lower and middle elevations where ponderosa pine grows, but can sometimes occur up to 10,000 feet."
and
"The Brown-headed Nuthatch of the southeastern U.S. looks very similar to the Pygmy Nuthatch, but their ranges don’t overlap: Brown-headed Nuthatches don’t get any farther west than eastern Texas."
More here: www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pygmy_Nuthatch/lifehistory
PERSONAL OBSERVATION: the head plumage of our PYNUs, it seems to me, is less brown than that of the eastern cousin....