Earbirding.com

In the first two parts of this series we explored the “quank” calls, which are some of the most common vocalizations of the three populations, and the “fast songs.” Today we’ll investigate two more types of rapid-fire calls, the “rapid quanks” and the “hit-trills,” and then I’ll leave the subject of nuthatches alone for a little while! [Read more]

Here in Colorado, we have both the “Rocky Mountain” and “Eastern” forms of the White-breasted Nuthatch, and I’ve heard a couple of people proclaim that any bird giving a rapid-fire series of calls is a Rocky Mountain individual, while any bird giving a single “yank” note is an Eastern. Unfortunately, it’s more complicated than that. [Read more]

Birders have known for a number of years now that White-breasted Nuthatches sort out into three distinct vocal groups in North America: Pacific, Rocky Mountain, and Eastern. However, with the exception of field guides, the ornithological literature has been silent on this point. Thus, starting with this post, I’m going to start exploring these vocal differences in some depth. [Read more]