Evening star., 1944-11-28
This and That
By Charles E. TTdceDeH.
ARLINGTON, VA.


Dear Sir: .....--
Il saw a small bird the other day. 1t
seemed to be black on top, with gray
wings and a white stomach and gave
me the impression of being q triangular
sort Of bird. I do not know whether
you will understand what I mean, but
that was the way it impressed me.
1T was walking down tree just out
side our living room window 1t was
head down, but when it started up it
was head up. 1t seemed very tame,
since 1t did not fly away when I looked
out the window at 1t.
II am newcomer to bird observation,
having just moved over here so / did
not know what bird this is. I have seen
1t several times, and I would like to
know what it is.
II do not like research, in any form,
and hope you will save me from that
fate. Very truly, I. F. W."
The bird was the white breasted
nuthatch.
Occasionally the red-breasted nut
hatch is SEEN It Is much smaller than
the more common sort.
The white-breasted nuthatch is 6
black, and under parts white
The triangular shape of which our
correspondent speaks is due to width
bird, its breadth giving 1t certain dis
tinction.
This triangularity is very plain against
the background of tree trunk, where
the bird is either finding seed or hiding
them.
He is one of the real helpers of other
hatch will hide small seeds and bits of
cracked grain in the crevices Of stucco
houses
The name Of "nuthatch" comes from
the old meaning of "hatch," to hack, or
chop, from the way the bird hacks
seed or nut open.
1t really means nuthatchet!
Not, as some folks think, that the bird
matches nut as 1t would an egg.
The nuthatch Is one of our most valu-
able birds, eating all sorts of insects,
spiders and eggs of many insects.
It is one of the great tree surgeons.
keeping them clean and antiseptic by its
incessant going up and down in its odd
way.
In some books it is called by the imag-
inative name of devil down-head," al
though this is unfair to the bird, since
there are no devilish traits about it. On
the contrary, it is quiet and unassuming,
minding its own business, and un-
doubtedly doing great deal of good by
hiding food for other birds to find.
This hiding Is done regularly, despite
the fact that food may be put out for
the bird every day. 1t is plain that the
bird does not have to do 1t, in such a
yard, but he does it, just the same. and
SO becomes a benefactor to less diligent
creatures. Even the gray squirrel is
indebted to the nuthatch. Another
species which regularly hides food, and
so helps many other birds, is the blue
jay, about which some observers cannot
say a good word With all their bad
saying, they never say word about this
good habit, as might be expected in q
world where fair saying is only the
prerogative Of the few.
The white-breasted nuthatch is found
in most suburban areas, especially If
there are trees, as there usually are.
1t builds neat nest usually in hole
in tree. The nest is woven of hair.
feathers and leaves. All the nuthatches
are clever nest builders. A species in
Greece makes double nest, the outside
one Of mud and the inside one of the
usual construction and materials.
The brown creeper is a close relative
OF the nuthatches It, too, is a bird of
tree trunks, but it never walks head
down.
In some sections of the country the
white-breasted nuthatch Is incorrectly
called q 0Sllrker II iS Y,roho hl1, -
careless observation, and confusion Of
the bird with the downy woodpecker.
Only the most careless observer, how
ever, could confuse the two. Certainly
the nuthatch never injuries trees, nor
does the downy woodpecker, for that
matter. The yellow-bellied sapsucker is
the one which harms trees. Watch out
| for him In early February.