FOREIGN BIRDS ON MY CANVAS # 7... WHITE BREASTED NUTHATCH ... WATERCOLOUR... [FROM A PHOTOGRAPH OF NANCY MCLLROY MAM] ... A4 ... 2015 ... The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a small songbird of the nuthatch family which breeds in old-growth woodland across much of temperate North America. It is a stocky bird, with a large head, short tail, powerful bill, and strong feet. The upperparts are pale blue-gray, and the face and underparts are white. It has a black cap and a chestnut lower belly. The nine subspecies differ mainly in the color of the body plumage.
Like other nuthatches, the white-breasted nuthatch forages for insects on trunks and branches, and is able to move head-first down trees. Seeds form a substantial part of its winter diet, as do acorns and hickory nuts that were stored by the bird in the fall. The nest is in a hole in a tree, and the breeding pair may smear insects around the entrance as a deterrent to squirrels. Adults and young may be killed by hawks, owls, and snakes, and forest clearance may lead to local habitat loss, but this is a common species with no major conservation concerns over most of its range.
Like other members of its genus, the white-breasted nuthatch has a large head, short tail, short wings, a powerful bill and strong feet; it is 1314 cm (5.15.5 in) long, with a wingspan of 2027 cm (7.910.6 in) and a weight of 1830 g (0.631.06 oz).[INFO:WIKIPEDIA]
