Brown-headed Nuthatch, Sitta pusilla (L): Guntersville Dam Recreational Area near New Hope, Alabama. Pygmy Nuthatch, Sitta pygmaea (R): Moraine Valley; Rocky Mountain NP, Colorado.
The
Brown-headed Nuthatch and Pygmy Nuthatch are about as close and you can come to
two birds that are so much alike. Both
species favor similar habitat, but in totally different regions of the United
States.
Brown-headed Nuthatch: Guntersville Dam Recreational Area near New Hope, Alabama
The
Brown-headed Nuthatch is a bird of the South, ranging from North Carolina south
and west to eastern Texas. It is a bird
of the pine forest, especially open loblolly pine lands where trees are spaced
twenty feet or more apart.
The
Brown-headed food, consist primarily of insect and pine seeds during
winter. During the breeding season they
favor beetles, caterpillars, and spiders.
They often travel in flocks scouring tree trunks and branches probing cracks,
scaling bark and gleaning pine needles for prey.
During the
nesting season the Brown-headed Nuthatch employ nest helpers. These helper birds are usually young
males. It is not currently known if the
helpers are offspring of the breeding pair or not.
The Pygmy
Nuthatch is a bird of the western mountain pine forest ranging up to
ten-thousand feet in elevation in the California mountains. It lives almost exclusively in long-needled
pine forest, particularly associated with ponderosa pines. Its typical habitat is open, park like stands
of older, larger trees.
Like its eastern
counter part, the Pygmy Nuthatch feeds primarily on insects and pine
seeds. Pygmy’s also travel in flocks
searching for prey in cracks between and under bark plates and gleaning seeds
from pine cones and insects form pine needle bundles.
Also, like
the Brown-headed Nuthatch, the Pygmy Nuthatch gets help raising young. During the nesting season, a pairs relatives
usually help in nesting duties such as feeding incubating females, and
defending territory.
Pygmy Nuthatch, Sitta pygmaea:
Moraine Valley; Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Both
species are similar in appearance and size as well. The Brown-headed Nuthatch has a dull brown crown,
white underparts, and a blue gray upper body, wings and rump. Its size ranges from 3.9-4.3 inches
(10-11cm). The Pygmy Nuthatch sports a
rich brown cap, white underparts and slate gray upper body, wings and
rump. Its size range is slightly smaller
at 3.5-4.3 inches (9-11cm). Both
species sport a white spot on their napes, with the spot being a bit more
pronounced on the Brown-headed.
Perhaps it is the behavior that bonds
these two species the most. Both are
energetic feeders. They forge on trunks
of their beloved pines and are constantly in motion as they move down and
around tree trunks and branches to feed.
I have seldom seen either species stop for more than a second. They also move in family flocks and are often
found with chickadees, kinglets and other songbirds. Even their songs are similar, both sounding
like a child’s squeaky toy.
I must
confess that I do love photographing these two species. As I photograph one, I am constantly reminded
of the other and can not help making comparisons between the two. But perhaps what I love most is simply the joy of these tiny bundles of feathers accepting my presence, and letting me get so
close to take their photographs.
Hear the Brown-headed Nuthatch vocalization here: Scroll
down to “Songs and Calls.”
Here the Pygmy Nuthatch vocalization here: Scroll down to “Songs and Calls.”
Top to Bottom, Left to Right:
Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/125 second @ f/7.1
Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/500 second @ f/7.1
Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/250 second @ f/7.1
Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/800 second @ f/10
