From Opus

Photo by etow
Location: North Central Ohio, USA

Sitta canadensis

[edit] Identification

• Black crown and nape
• White lores, the supercilium, and the sides of the mantle
• Black eyestripe broadens backward to the sides of the mantle
• White chin, cheeks, ear coverts, and sides of the upper neck
• Grey blue upperparts, lesser and median coverts, and central tail feathers
• Outer 4 tail feathers have white centres; outer 3 have grey-blue tips
• Dark grey brown flight feathers
• Cinnamon lower neck, breast, flanks, belly, vent, and undertail coverts
• Black upper mandible, pale grey lower
• dusky legs and feet

[edit] Females

• Similar to males, but the crown and nape are dark grey, not black
• Eyestripe is variable but usually paler than in males
• Underparts are paler, not as richly coloured as males

[edit] Distribution

Breeds across Canada and United States.

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic.

[edit] Habitat

Coniferous forests; more widespread during migration and winter.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

Nuthatches hoard excess food and will transport seed from a tree heavily laden with mature cones to their distant larders. They also feed on bark insects.

[edit] Voice

A tinny yank-yank, higher pitched and more nasal than the call of the White-breasted Nuthatch. Some describe it as sounding similar to a toy tin horn.

[edit] External Links