A White-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) on the trunk of a Paper birch (Betula papyrifera) tree at Whitemud Nature Reserve in Edmonton, Canada.
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. *** Betula papyrifera (paper birch, also known as white birch and canoe birch) is a short lived species of birch native to northern North America. Paper birch is named due to the thin white bark which often peels in paper like layers from the trunk. Paper birch is often one of the first species to colonize a burned area within the northern latitudes and an important species for moose browse. The wood is often used for pulpwood and firewood. *** Description sourced from Wikipedia (2017).
Size: 3361px × 2290px
Location: Whitemud Park, Fox Drive Northwest, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Photo credit: © Felix Choo / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: alberta, bark, betula, birch, breasted, canada, canoe, carolinensis, edmonton, nature, nuthatch, nuthatches, paper, papyrifera, reserve, sitta, tree, trunk, white, white-breasted, whitemud
