Sitta Linnaeus (Syst. Nat., ed. 10, 1: 997. 1758) is a medium-size genus of 24 species found mainly in the Northern Hemisphere with four species found in North America north of Mexico. Most occur in temperate forests but two occur in rocky, drier regions of Asia where the greatest concentration of species is found. These passerine birds a small with distinctly large heads and markedly short tails. Their strong bill marks them as a seed eater. Their strong feet featuring longer hind toes than those in front allow these birds to easily go up and down (often head-first) tree trunks, a behavior not often seen among other genera of birds in the northeastern United States.
The generic name, Sitta is based on the Greek word sitte for the European nuthatch, Sitta caesia (Linnaeus). The reference to Carolina comes from the fact that Latham (Index Ornithol.: 262. 1790), who proposed Sitta carolinensis, knew the species primarily from an illustration published by Mark Catesby (Nat. Hist. Carol. 1: t. 22. 1730 – see below).
The White-breasted nuthatch is variable and is presently divided into eight to eleven regional subspecies. Ours is the typical subspecies, carolinensis; it is found in the eastern half of North America from Saskatchewan, Canada, south to Texas, and east to the Atlantic coast. The phase commonly seen in the Rocky Mountains is the subspecies nelsoni (named for Edward William Nelson, 1855-1934, a naturalist who worked for the United States Department of Agriculture) while in the Sierra Nevada/Cascade cordillera and scattered desert ranges in the western Great Basin of Nevada one usually encounters tenuissima (from the Latin for slender, alluding to the bill). Along the Pacific Coast (mainly in the coastal ranges) is the subspecies aculeata (from the Latin for sharp, as to the slender bill). The remaining five subspecies are found primarily in Mexico although one does come as far north as southwestern Texas. The morphological differences among the subspecies are slight, but each subspecies has a slight variation in its call which, coupled with geography, help differentiate the groups.
According to Silby’s Guide to Birds (2000: p. 381) the eastern white-breasted nuthatch, compared to the other subspecies in the United States, has a thicker bill and a paler back that is in contrast to its black markings. The black crown stripe is broader and, as noted above, its call differs as well, it being a nasal “yenk.” This sound is sometimes rendered as "yank" or even "quank" in the literature. The notes may be solitary or in a short series. The sounds of the western subspecies is far more complex than those of subspecies carolinensis.
Sitta carolinensis carolinensis is a persistent resident in New York, and while some Canadian populations may venture southward during the winter, there is little migration observed in this subspecies. Our bird prefers deciduous woodlands and are frequently observed hopping down a tree trunk searching for insects; in the winter time this activity is often concentrated during the midday hours when temperatures are relatively higher. Males tend to search for food alone while females tend to search in pairs or small groups. Interestingly, the white-breasted nuthatch will store food, especially seeds, in small caches in the cracks of tree bark, occasionally covering the horde with moss or lichen.
The plumage differences that differentiate male and female birds are subtle as may be seen in Silby.
Also found throughout most of the United States, the southern half of Canada and southernmost Alaska, is the red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis Linnaeus (Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1: 177. 1766). Both species nest in holes in trees (often those created by woodpeckers) and feed along trunks and branches of trees eating both insects and a variety of seeds and small nuts. The two may be distinguished readily by the differences in their breast color.
For more information on the White-breasted nuthatch see Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s site on White-breasted nuthatch where one can find a map of the species’ distribution, its voice, and other facts. The Wikipedia treatment of Sitta carolinensis is particular good as is its review of the genus.
Our photos were taken in Lansing, Tompkins Co., New York, in February and March 2009.
