BREEDING BIRDS: WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta Carolinensis) Description: A black cap tops its all-white face and breast. Has a stubby tail and its rust-colored underparts vary in intensity. Habitat: Common in oaks and conifers. Prefers mature stands with decaying trees. Diet: Acorns, nuts and insects, including spiders, larvae. Displays: During courtship, male carries food to female, performs bowing and singing ritual with head feathers raised, tail spread. Nest: In tree cavities or deserted woodpecker holes. Made of soft bark shreds, hair, feathers. Eggs: White or pinkish white, usually marked with reddish brown at larger end; less than one inch long. Breeding bird atlas: To report bird breeding activity in your neighborhood, or to get information on the breeding bird atlas, call Sea and Sage Audubon Society members Sylvia Gallagher, (714) 962-8990, or Nancy Kenyon, (714) 786-3160. Note: Map is divided into 5-kilometer squares so that Audubon Society volunteers can more easily survey areas on a regular basis. Sources: Sea and Sage Audubon Society; “The Birder’s Handbook,” Ehrlich, Dobkin and Wheye, Fireside Books (1988); “Field Guide to the Birds of North America,” National Geographic Society (1987); “Birds of Southern California: Status and Distribution,” Garrett and Dunn, Los Angeles Audubon Society (1981).