Northern Exposures Photography

White Breasted Nuthatch

The largest of nuthatches, the White Breasted Nuthatch, is still a small bird, no longer than five to six inches in length, a ten inch wingspan and a short tail and a long narrow pointed bill.

These birds are active and agile, feeding mainly on insects and seeds.  Nuthatches are often observed creeping along the trunks and branches of trees probing into the bark for food.  Like other nuthatches, they often probe upside down and sideways on vertical surfaces as they forage.  This ability is due to their extra long hind claws, (as depicted in the accompanied photo), giving them the superb balance.  Their common name is derived from the habit of jamming large nuts and acorns into tree bark, then striking them with their bill to “hatch” out the seeds inside.

The White Breasted Nuthatch is a non-migratory bird occurring across southern Canada, most of the United States to northern Mexico.  Their habitat is a preference of mixed woodland areas, with  hollow oak trees for nesting.

American Goldfinch - Male Winter Plumage

The American Goldfinch is a small finch (4-5 inches) long and is distributed in a wide area across North America.  The winter range is from southern Canada, through the United States to northern Mexico.  This finch is a short distance migrant during periods of cold weather and lessened food supplies.  During a migration, they are observed in compact flocks, with the flight pattern erratic and wave-like in their appearance.

The usual habitat of this bird are open fields, meadows and areas of open woodlands.  They feed primarily on seeds of weeds and grasses, but will occasionally feed on insects, which are also fed to its young as a source of protein.  Human activity has generally benefited this finch and will often feed at bird feeders in winter.  A particular favourite food at the feeders being Niger (or Thistle) seeds.  Their beaks are small and conical which aids in the extraction of seeds from sunflower, thistle and other plants.  Additionally, unlike other finch species, this bird uses it feet extensively when feeding, by hanging onto the seed heads to reach the seeds more easily.  This dexterity enables it to feed on a larger variety of plants and increases it chances for survival.

The American Goldfinch undergoes a molt in the spring and fall, and is the only finch member in its subfamily to molt twice a year.  During the winter molt all feathers are shed; in the spring, all feathers are shed with the exception of wing and tail feathers, which are dark brown in the female and black in the male.  Once the spring molt is complete, the male displays its typical bright yellow body colour, jet black cap on the head and a white rump.  This bright colouring is used for the attraction of a potential mate.  The female is mostly brown, with lighter brown shades on the undersides and a yellow bib.   Following the autumn molt, both sexes appear similar, with the plumage becoming dull with an olive-brown colour above and buff below; the male displays yellow shoulder patches.  In addition, the beaks, which are usually pink through the year, become a bright orange in both sexes following the spring molt.