S is for Sparrowhawk

SPARROWHAWK (ACCIPITER NISUS)

To some, a swift demon snatching defenceless birds from their garden feeders.  To others, an exciting reminder of the wild on their doorstep. The sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus embodies the attitude of nature red in (beak) and claw.

Sparrowhawks usually make a surprise appearance, often a fleeting glimpse as one shoots by. In flight, the sparrowhawk has a distinctive outline with short, broad wings and a long oblong tail. When resting, their glaring yellow eyes are another striking feature. Sparrowhawks are usually silent, but are often heralded by the alarm calls of other birds.

Female sparrowhawks are 25% bigger than males, a record breaker amongst birds¹. This helps avoid competition for prey. Males hunt small birds like tits, finches and sparrows whilst the females take thrushes, corvids and pigeons.
Their colouring is also different. The male casts a handsome figure with a slatey blue back and fine orange bands across his chest whilst the female has a browner back and chest bands.

Sparrowhawks are woodland birds by nature, but the planted trees and bird communities of gardens are a good substitute. Over 90% of their prey is live birds, with small mammals (including bats), carrion and insect snacks occasionally on the menu². In general, sparrowhawks aren't fussy, taking whichever bird is readily available. In his 30 year observations, J.H.Owen noted 57 prey species².

 The sparrowhawks’ hunting strategy is to coast around behind cover³ (Trees, hedgerows, fences and even people on the streets*) before bursting into a surprised group of birds and snatching its prey with long, lobed talons perfect for gripping a moving target. If given the slip, the sparrowhawk’s specialised wings and tail come into action steering over, under and between branches at speeds of up to 50kph⁴. The hawk despatches its prey with talon squeezes or eats it alive depending on which is easier. Sparrowhawks are even known to drown prey^ᵻ. The forensic signs of a sparrowhawk kill are scattered, plucked feathers and missing head and/or breast meat, the raptor’s choice delicacies.  

Watch how the sparrowhawk manouvres between branches in this clip from the legendary David Attenborough's 'Life of Birds' series.


The sparrowhawks hunting skill has shaped its scientific name (Accipiter from accipere, to grasp¹) and has been honoured in human weaponry. The musket (an early hand gun) was named after the falconer’s term for the male sparrowhawk- both being small, fast and deadly⁵.

Sparrowhawks are such infamous predators of other birds that they have been scapegoated for causing songbird declines. The sparrowhawk’s recovery from persecution by gamekeepers and poisoning by DDT (a pesticide that builds up through the food chain) since the 1960’s coincided with the decline in small woodland and farmland birds⁶. It is easy to put two and two together and some organisations such as the “Songbird Survival” did (and partly still do) just that⁷.

But the evidence does not support this. Studies show that songbirds are thriving where sparrowhawk populations are highest⁸, and sparrowhawks act as ‘compensatory predators’⁹, meaning they only kill prey in numbers which would have died from natural causes anyway, such as harsh winters. This makes obvious sense since the predator relies on good prey populations, and depleting their food source would doom the sparrowhawks in the long run. In other words, most small birds survive to breed in the same numbers whether or not sparrowhawks are around, and human-caused habitat loss and land management changes are far greater causes of songbird decline^7,9.  Even around garden feeders which often become sparrowhawk magnets, birds adjust their behaviour to cope- feeding little and often to avoid becoming full and sluggish targets⁹.

Sparrowhawks themselves are not invincible. They must watch their own backs for larger peregrines Falco peregrinus and goshawks Accipiter gentilis and harsh winters that kill off small birds lead sparrowhawks to starve in turn¹⁰. Sparrowhawks are short lived for a raptor, and less than half their breeding attempts produce fledglings¹⁰. Like most predators, they simply cannot reach damaging numbers.

It is time we stopped viewing sparrowhawks as detached murderers of our garden treasures and recognise them as yet another beautifully adapted predator inextricably linked with the fate of our smaller birds. It is a testament to changing times that the sparrowhawk has managed to become so common around our homes.

*One of my most memorable encounters with a sparrowhawk was when one flew past chasing a sparrow just inches from my face as a child!

^ᵻThis may seem barbaric and upsetting to our eyes, but as with all predators, the sparrowhawk acts on efficiency, not moral code. Is a song thrush bashing a live snail on a rock any less ‘barbaric’?

  References

1- R.A. Robinson. (2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland:Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob2690.htm

2-J.H. Owen. (1932) The Food of the Sparrow-Hawk. British Birds,26, 34 – 40. Available from: http://www.britishbirds.co.uk/search?model=pdf&id=1444

3- Dominic Couzens. (2012) Garden Birds Confidential. Bounty Books.

4- RSPB. (2013) Birds by name: Sparrowhawk: Hunting. Available from:  http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/hunting.aspx

5- Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

6- BTO. (2013) Bird of the Month: Sparrowhawk. Available from: http://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-of-month/sparrowhawk

7- Songbird Survival. (2013) Save our Songbirds. Available from: http://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/save_our_songbirds.html

8- RSPB. (2013) Birds by name: Sparrowhawk: A top predator. Available from:  http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/toppredator.aspx

9- Mike Toms. (2008) Return of the Native. Birdtable, 56,7-11. BTO. Available from: http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/shared_documents/gbw/associated_files/bird-table-56-2008-sparrowhawk-article.pdf

10-RSPB. (2013) Birds by name: Sparrowhawk: Mortality. Available from:  http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/mortality.aspx

R is for Redwing

REDWING (TURDUS ILIACUS) 

From a summer migrant (Q is for Quail) we move to a more topical winter migrant, the Redwing Turdus iliacus. The smallest of our ‘true thrushes’ (from the genus Turdus), the redwing arrives to Britain in droves from the forests of Northern Europe, seeking out our richer winter larder.

Walking home on a crisp autumn night, you may be surprised to hear a soft “tseep” from the skies above. This is the sound of redwing migrating under cover of darkness. During the day it is easy to identify flocks of redwing by their size (A little larger than a robin) and their plumage patterns. They are darker than a song thrush Turdus philomelos , with a mahogany upperside, pale eyebrows, white, speckled chest and of course red underwings and flanks. Another flocking winter migrant thrush is the Fieldfare Turdus pilaris which is much larger with different plumage (The difference is explained in this video by the BTO).

Redwings are renowned berry-guzzlers. Scattered along a hedgerow or fruiting tree, they gulp down berries of hawthorn, rowan, and holly, sometimes creating quite a festive scene amongst the frosted, berry-laden branches. The arrival of redwings is much to the chagrin of Mistle Thrushes Turdus viscivorous, which stake out their own berried bush for the winter and fruitlessly attempt to guard it against the onslaught of their smaller cousins.  Redwings sometimes visit gardens in harsher weather where there are pickings of ornamental berry bushes such as cotoneaster and pyracanthus or handouts of fruit like apples. The orchards of the West Midlands are an important feeding area for redwings to stock up on windfall apples¹.

But redwings won’t pass up the opportunity for something meatier and can often be seen hopping across playing fields and farmland in search of worms. They will also split up and rummage through woodland leaf-litter for insects, especially when it is too cold and windy to be out in the open². Redwings are well camouflaged against the woodland carpet, and their reaction to predators is often to sit still and make like a leaf³. When startled in the open, redwings head for cover in trees or bushes.

There are actually two races of redwing that visit Britain. The slightly paler  Scandinavian race T. iliacus iliacus, winter in Southern Britain, whereas the darker, streakier Icelandic race T.iliacus corburni  winter around Scotland and Ireland ^2,4. Of course there is some overlap , especially since redwings are not site-faithful at all during the winter and will move around depending on the weather and food availability, going south in harsher conditions ^1,3. Scandinavian birds sometimes fly all the way down to North Africa².

Some Icelandic birds don’t even bother going home, and actually breed in Northern Scotland ^1,4. This was first noticed in 1932 and numbers grew to around 80 pairs in the early 80’s, but have since fallen to less than 20 ^1,4. This small breeding population is why redwings have a red RSPB conservation status in the UK². It may be novel, but the over 1000 strong winter migrant population⁴ is perhaps a more important concern.

Wintering birds have also shown signs of decline, with lessreports of spectacular communal roosts². Perhaps this is because there are less fruiting hedges in our countryside. Even those that still exist are often cut too often by flailing to allow berry production.

As the colder seasons set in, look out for this winter special, that is perhaps more festive than our resident robin. Lay out a few apples in your garden as a helping hand to our winter thrushes and you may be lucky enough to be visited by a party of handsome redwing.

References

1- Graham Appleton. (2012) Bird of the Month: Redwing. BTO. Available from: http://www.bto.org/about-birds/bird-of-month/redwing

2- Mike Toms. (2010) The Wanderer Returns: REDWING. Bird Table, 64, 14-16. Available from: http://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/shared_documents/gbw/associated_files/bird-table-64-redwing-article.pdf

3- Dominic Couzens. (2012) Garden Birds Confidential. Bounty Books.

4- Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves. (2010) RSPB Handbook of British Birds (Third Edition). London, A&C Black.

Q is for Quail

QUAIL (COTURNIX COTURNIX)

At just 17 centimetres long, the quail (Coturnix coturnix)is our smallest and sweetest gamebird. It is also one of the most rarely seen.

The quail’s streaky buff, tan and chocolate markings provide excellent cryptic camouflage in the grassland habitats they favour. Their low stature and secretive habits help keep their cover. Males can be located by their distinctive “whip whip whip” call, often described as ‘wet my lips’ which they will shout out day and night. If you do see one, males are subtly different from females, with bolder, darker chin markings, whilst juveniles are plain-faced.

Despite being a weak flier, quails are our only migratory gamebird, arriving here to breed in spring and summer (April to September) from the warmer climes of North and Central Africa. In keeping with their secrecy, they fly under cover of darkness to avoid hawks and other birds of prey.

Unlike the swallow Hirundo rustica or the cuckoo Cuculus canorus though, quails are not reliable visitors to Britain. They reach our islands sporadically, in varying numbers each year.  They are never particularly common in Britain, with the usual number of just 100-300 pairs reaching up to around 2,600 in good ‘Quail years”¹.  Notable quail years have included  1970, 1983, 1989 and 2005¹. Quails are classed as a ‘rare breeding bird’ by the BTO, so any records are notable².

However, quail migration does follow an interesting pattern. The first wave of migrants arrive in April to May, breeding through to June and July, when the second wave arrives. The reason for this is simple, yet remarkable. The second wave are the first brood of youngsters from North Africa (Sired by parents from Central Africa). Meanwhile, young quails hatched in Britain migrate into Northern Europe².  This feat is possible because of the quail’s fast growth rate; juveniles have the strength to migrate at 2 months old and can breed at just 3 months ^2,3! This leapfrogging migration pattern is has more in common with butterflies, such as the painted lady Vanessa cardui than other birds.

You might think with such a high breeding rate, quails would be very numerous. In fact
Whilst captive quails have grown in popularity for their eggs, meat and as pets, their wild cousins are steadily declining. A number of factors are to blame for this, from habitat loss due to changes in farming practices and losses of semi-natural grassland, to droughts in their African wintering grounds and hunting in the Mediterranean³.

Of these, hunting is the most pressing conservation concern. Quails are strictly protected under the European Union’s Birds Directive, but illegal spring shooting and trapping continues on their migration through the Mediterranean, which selectively removes hundreds of breeding birds^4,5. Malta in particular is criticised for this practice, banned by the Government in 2009 but reopened in 2011 with annually increasing quail quotas⁵. Outside of Europe, such as in the Middle-East, quail shooting is also a popular sport and a tourism venture. Considering the small numbers arriving in Britain each year, this is a clear conservation issue and the fact that all but one of the BTO’s notable quail ringing recoveries were from shot birds is not surprising⁶.

Surprisingly then, the quail was a historically unpopular gamebird, rarely eaten at British banquets which featured so many other species⁷. The reason is not their small size but their toxicity.  The flesh of some quails is made bitter and poisonous by their habit of eating toxic plants-such as spurge- on migration^7,8. Apparently, only birds from East Africa are affected, but since the populations mix in the breeding grounds, it wasn’t considered worth the lottery. Quail poisoning , or “coturnism” was so common it has been mentioned in the Bible (Numbers 11:31-34) when the Israelites ate quail in Sinai, and eating quail was banned by the Romans in the first century. This makes the quail one of only five known poisonous birds⁸.

They may be small, but the quail’s secretive lifestyle hides some big secrets.  It’s clear that this unique gamebird deserves more protection if we want to hear them in our island’s summer fields in future years.



References

1-Chris Mead. (2000) Quail (Common Quail). The State of the Nations Birds. Available from: http://www.birdcare.com/bin/showsonb?quail

2-Dawn Balmer . (2009) Quail - the Painted Lady of the bird world? Available from: http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=1690

3- Peter Holden and Tim Cleeves. (2010) RSPB Handbook of British Birds (Third Edition). London, A&C Black.

4- Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS). (2010) Spring Hunting on Malta: Hunters have no sense  of 'sustainability'.  Available from: http://www.komitee.de/en/actions-and-projects/malta/spring-hunting

5-Charlie Moors. (2012) BirdLife Malta: ““Malta Taking Commission for a Ride”. Talking Naturally. Available from: http://www.talking-naturally.co.uk/birdlife-malta-malta-taking-commission-for-a-ride/

6- R.A. Robinson and J.A. Clark. (2013) The Online Ringing Report: Bird ringing in Britain & Ireland in 2012. Summary of all Ringing Recoveries for Quail (Coturnix coturnix). Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec3700all.htm

7-  Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

8-Dr Stefan Bartram and Professor Wilhelm Boland. (2001) Chemistry and ecology of toxic birds. ChemBioChem, 2, 809-811. In: Darren Naish. (2010) Death by toxic goose. Amazing waterfowl facts part II. Tetrapod Zoology. Available from: http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/06/19/death-by-toxic-goose/

P is for Pied Wagtail

PIED WAGTAIL (MOTACILLA ALBA)

 The dainty pied wagtail is a common and regularly seen across the country. This little bird brings a sprightly charm to our city streets. 

With their pied plumage and long tail, pied wagtails look a bit like a miniature magpie  Pica pica (some people unfamiliar with birds believe they are baby magpies). Male pied wagtails are truly black and white, whilst females have a grey wing mantle. As their name suggests, they almost constantly wag their long tail up and down. Nobody knows exactly why they perform this eccentric behaviour, but hypotheses include signalling to other wagtails, signalling their alertness to predators, providing camouflage against running water (which most wagtails are associated with), as a still silhouette would stand out against a moving background, or to startle their insect prey out of hiding¹.  People likened this streamside bobbing to a maid scrubbing washing in the river, giving it the local names “Polly dishwasher” and similar².

Pied wagtails get around by walking with bursts of zippy, skittering dashes, so fast their legs are a blur to our eyes. Their repetitive call is a spontaneous “chi-ssick” sounded from the ground or in bounding flight. Males also have a rambling song, which is rarely heard.

Of all our wagtails species*, the pied wagtail is the least associated with water. Though they are often found in wet places, they also prefer wide, open areas where they can easily pick out their prey on the ground and spot potential predators. Paved and tarmacked surfaces are ideal, and pied wagtails have taken well to our streets and car parks. Our cars provide an added bonus, as they will pick the squashed insects off number plates. 

Though they are mainly insectivores, pied wagtails are always grateful for a handout of crumbs. The only time a wagtail was encouraged into our garden was last year’s snowy winter when it fed on the crumbs of our fat balls, and in Falmouth, Cornwall there is a male wagtail missing a foot, who seems to make his living and feed his chicks on Cornish pasty crumbs.

After a frantic day feeding on the ground, wagtails gather to roost in a tree or other perch. These mass-roostings are a magical spectacle, with trees festooned with feathery bundles like a Christmas tree (in fact they often use town Christmas trees). They gather on the ground, roofs and nearby perches before circling into the roost together with a cacophony of excited chattering before they all settle down. These roosts may number hundreds or thousands of wagtails. The largest recorded, in a Kentish reedbed, held 5000 birds³!
Though they don’t physically huddle, these gatherings may create a warmer microclimate to help the small birds survive in cold nights. They often choose to roost under the warm glow of a street light or sometimes in greenhouses on hot water pipes³.  

As with many resident British Birds, numbers of pied wagtails are swelled by migrants from the North in the winter months. During this season when food is scarce, adult male pied wagtails are territorial, whilst females and subordinate males forage in flocks. Though sometimes the males tolerate another ‘satellite’ wagtail in their territory who helps to defend it ⁴.
Another rarer visitor on migration is the White Wagtail Motacilla alba alba, actually a sub-species of the pied wagtail from mainland Europe. It is similar to a female pied wagtail, but with paler grey wings and other slight plumage differences. 

Pied wagtails nest in crevices, often in old stone structures such as old walls and tiled roofs and will use open-fronted nest boxes. Their small, cup-shaped nest is made of grass and moss. When the juveniles fledge, they are mainly a grey-brown with black throat and wing markings until their second year. Pied wagtails are typically short-lived, but the oldest recorded was 11 years old⁴.

This little city slicker is a delight to have around, and next time you’re on the streets on a Friday night, it just might be worth looking up at the trees.

*The others are the Grey Wagtail M.flava and the migratory Yellow Wagtail M.cinerea

 References

1-      Dominic Couzens. (2012) Garden Birds Confidential. Bounty Books.

2-      Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

3-      Michael.J. Seago (no date) Pied Wagtail. Birds of Britain. Available from: http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/pied-wagtail.asp

4-      R.A. Robinson.(2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba   [Linnaeus, 1758]. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob10200.htm

O is for Oystercatcher

OYSTERCATCHER (HAEMATOPUS OSTRALEGUS)

The Oystercatcher Haemotopus ostralegus is a very recognisable wader, with striking black and white plumage, scarlet bill and bright pink legs (the name Haematopus means ‘blood foot’¹, odd considering their beak and eyes are redder). They’re also one of the most common and easily seen, flying in loudly-peeping groups between feeding and roosting areas. 

Oystercatchers live in many coastal habitats, from rocky cliff bases to muddy estuaries across the British shoreline. Within the past 30 years some have moved inland upriver to gravel pits, flashes (shallow pools), and pasture, a phenomenon first noticed in Scotland². Some have even followed the example of urban gulls, nesting in cities and feeding in playing fields.

Oystercatchers are misnamed. Their original name was ‘Sea-pie’ after their pied feathers. Their current title is an Americanism, from the naming of its cousin the American Oystercatcher H. palliatus in 1731, which eats small oysters³.  Our oystercatchers rarely, if ever eat oysters, but they do enjoy shellfish, especially mussels. Another appropriate older name is ‘mussel cracker’³. Or it would be if they all cracked them...
 
The oystercatchers’ showy beak is very powerful *, allowing them to deal with hard-shelled prey, but their feeding habits differ. Some are ‘crackers’ or ‘hammerers’, bashing the shell until it smashes, whilst others are ‘stabbers’ prising the shells apart at the seam^1,2,4. Their tools match their trade, stabbers having slimmer, flattened beaks and hammerers being shorter and thicker. Still others are worm-eaters with thin, pointed bills for probing their burrows⁴.

These types have puzzled ornithologists since the 1960’s. They were once thought to be learned through generations. Unlike other waders which feed themselves from day one, Oystercatchers teach their offspring how to eat. The parents can be devoted teachers, spending over 6 months schooling their young. However, oystercatchers nesting inland often leave for the coast before their young can fly with them so their habits cannot just be learned⁵.

The truth is even more fascinating. Oystercatchers can switch their diets and are able to change their beak shape within days!  This is thanks to their beak growing at three times the rate of human fingernails, so it responds quickly to wear and pressures (Just like our muscles and bone build up through strain and tear). In a captive experiment, it took just 10 days for the beaks of mussel hammerers to change to worm-eater form when their diet was switched. This makes the oystercatcher very adaptable and able to exploit whatever prey is available⁴.

As well as molluscs and worms, oystercatchers also eat insect larvae, shrimps, crabs, small fish and even occasionally the eggs and chicks of small gulls (Though I could not find the original reference for this-see comments reference  4).
They don’t always catch their own food, often stealing from smaller waders. Some are professional pirates, getting 60% of their food from other birds⁶. But the world is not their oyster, as black-headed gulls Choriocephalus ridibundus and even juvenile oystercatchers steal ready-opened molluscs from the stronger adults⁴.

Oystercatchers nest in bare scrapes on a prominent feature such as a rock or in the open on shingle or short grass where they can easily spot predators and their pebble-like eggs are camouflaged. Urban oystercatchers take advantage of gravelled areas, including flat roofs.

Males protect the nest and are a force to be reckoned with. They react quickly to any passing nest predator, be it gull, corvid, raptor or human, flying up and chasing them away whilst shouting abuse. Other birds don’t want to get involved with the powerful beak.  When I visited Skomer Island with friends in summer, oystercatchers were constantly setting off after the many gulls and Buzzards Buteo buteo.  However, gull predation still greatly limits breeding success⁷.

Not all chicks are lucky enough to have their parent’s protection, since oystercatchers sometimes ‘egg dump’ –laying their eggs in the nest of another, like a gull. Whilst the female probably hopes her chick will be reared by its adopted parents like a cuckoo, its chances of survival are slim⁸.

Chicks that do survive to adulthood may live long and prosper. Some oystercatchers have been recorded at 30-40 years old^1,4.

Oystercatchers are certainly a unique wader. This pied piper of our shorelines may be common and  perhaps taken for granted, but is hugely adaptable and intriguing

*In fact, it has the heaviest beak of all living waders.

References

 

1- R.A. Robinson.(2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus   [Linnaeus, 1758]. Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob4500.htm

2- Peter Holden and J.T.R. Sharrock. (1989) The RSPB book of British Birds. PAPERMAC, London.

3- Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

4- Darren Naish. (2010) The incredible bill of the oystercatcher. Tetrapod Zoology. Available from: http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/07/11/incredible-bill-of-oystercatcher/

5-William.J. Sutherland. (1987) Why do animals specialize? Nature 325, 483-484. Cited by: Darren Naish. (2010) The incredible bill of the oystercatcher. Tetrapod Zoology. Available from: http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/07/11/incredible-bill-of-oystercatcher/

6- Nicholas Hammond and Bruce Pearson. (1994) Waders. Hamlyn, London. Cited by: Darren Naish. (2010) The incredible bill of the oystercatcher. Tetrapod Zoology. Available from: http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2010/07/11/incredible-bill-of-oystercatcher/

7-M.P. Harris and S.Wanless. (1997) The effect of removing large numbers of gulls Larus spp. on an island population of oystercatchers Haematopus ostralegus: Implications for management. Biological Conservation 82 (2), Pages 167–171. Available from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320797000190

8- Science Daily and Dr Clive Craik. (2011). Birds Dumping Eggs On the Neighbors. Available from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110524203605.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

See also Mike Mottram’s entry on filming an urban oystercatcher nest in ‘Diaries of a Cheshire Wildlife Watcher’

N is for Nuthatch

NUTHATCH (SITTA EUROPAEA)

With its powder blue upperside, blended cream and rusty orange underside and charcoal bandit mask , the Nuthatch Sitta europaea looks as if it has been coloured with pastilles, but is surprisingly difficult to see in its shady habitat. The nuthatch is truly a woodland bird, and with good reason. Like a woodpecker (which it resembles) it finds food on and under tree bark, hopping up, down and around the trunk and branches in search of insects. The nuthatch is the only British bird capable of climbing down a tree trunk head first. They achieve this through not relying on their tail as a prop, as woodpeckers and treecreepers Certhia familiaris do, and by having especially large, strong feet which they position one behind the other to act as a pivot and support¹.

The nuthatch reveals itself by its insistent piping call or the crackling sound of it pecking and peeling bark. Even then, they are difficult to keep track of as they scoot and weave behind the tree in and out of view.  However, they are quite tame and will call or feed a couple of meters away.

The nuthatch also eats seeds and nuts in autumn and winter when insects become scarce, cracking them by shoving them into a bark crevice and thrusting down with its powerful beak. This habit earned them their original, more powerful name ‘Nut hacker’ which has since become corrupted².

Nuthatches are partial to peanuts and seeds from garden feeders and bird tables, where they aggressively chase off other small birds, especially other nuthatches. Though they are increasingly seen in gardens where they are most easily observed, they only visit those near woodlands. Nuthatches stay very close to their birthplace, and even patches of suitable natural woodland may not be colonised if they are too far from others³. However, nuthatches are slowly moving North with warmer British weather, and were first recorded breeding in Scotland in 1989⁴

Perhaps because they don’t move far and because they nest in scarce tree holes, territory is very important to nuthatches. Neighbouring pairs have frequent stand-offs. Usually these are just posturing, but sometimes they escalate into fights when their beaks often inflict serious injury or death⁴.  Juvenile nuthatches have to wait in the wings in low-quality territories until a position in a breeding territory becomes available⁵. Though they are a small bird and reach adulthood at just 1 year, nuthatches have been recorded at 7 years old⁶.

Nuthatches are crafty birds. They store seeds and nuts for the winter by pushing them into gaps in tree bark or wood. Come nesting time, they will plug up their nest hole with mud, which hardens like concrete until only their bodies can pass through. This keeps out nest predators such as woodpeckers and competitors like starlings Sturnus vulgaris, but they can be over-enthusiatic, filling up the joins in nestboxes and even encasing them entirely ^1,3!
 I have also once seen one of a pair of nuthatches in Worcester use a piece of bark to prise off another part and wondered if this counted as tool use. This behaviour (this time with a small stick) has been photographed before.  Its American relative, the brown-headed nuthatch is renowned for using tools in a similar way.

Next time you’re in a woodland, make an effort to listen out for this agile and crafty character around a tree trunk near you.

References

1- Dominic Couzens. (2012) Garden Birds Confidential. Bounty Books.

2- Fransesca Greenoak. (1979) All the Birds of the Air. A. Brown and Sons.

3- Peter Holden and J.T.R. Sharrock. (1989) The RSPB book of British Birds. PAPERMAC, London.

4-Tim Harrison and Mike Toms. (2012) BTO Garden Bird of the Month – November: Nuthatch. Available from: http://www.discoverwildlife.com/blog/bto-garden-bird-month-%E2%80%93-november-nuthatch

5- Erik Matthysen.(1990) Behavioural and ecological correlates of territory quality in the Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea). The Auk, 107 (1), 86-95. Available from: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4087805?uid=3738032&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&sid=21102756365933

6- R.A. Robinson.(2005) BTO BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland: Nuthatch Sitta europaea Available from: http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob14790.htm