The first time I saw a pygmy nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) was on October 18, 1997 in Rye, Colorado. I remember being excited about seeing this bird for the first time because it was another addition to my Colorado life list. Jump ahead almost 11 years to the week, and I’ve seen most of the birds that call Colorado home. So now, my avian observations focus on noting unusual activities I haven’t seen before.
On Saturday afternoon while relaxing at Moraine Park campground, I kept hearing high-pitched, rapid peep peep’s from several birds high in the canopy of a couple of ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa). Eventually, a flock of approximately 20 pygmy nuthatches came into view as they started foraging in a Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) just above me. The nuthatches were pulling winged seeds from partially open cones and then flying to nearby ponderosas. At first, I thought they were taking the seeds to other trees to remove the wings. Douglas-fir is a wind-dispersed species. The seeds are small with wings attached to aid in movement away from the cones. When I looked closer, I noticed that the nuthatches were actually caching the seeds under the bark of the ponderosa trees instead of removing wings.
Pygmy nuthatches are common residents in mature, healthy ponderosa pine forests. They’re actually considered indicator species. If the nuthatches are present in good numbers that means food and nest/roost sites are aplenty, i.e. you have good habitat.
Pygmy nuthatches usually forage by flaking off bark of conifers in search of insects and beetles underneath. In the winter, conifer seeds make up the majority of their diet. Caching of seeds under the bark of ponderosa pines when they’re available insures that the nuthatch’s foraging behavior can remain the same even when the climate is too cold for insects. Pretty smart behavior, if you ask me, for a tiny bird with an even tinier “bird brain”.
Side note: The pygmy nuthatch was mentioned in the 2000 movie release of Charlie’s Angels. Cameron Diaz, playing the role of Natalie Cook, unlocks the secret to finding the location where Bosley is being held captive when she hears the song of a pygmy nuthatch, a species she claims is only found in Carmel, California. The bird shown in the movie and the associated call were both incorrect. As a birder, it’s always fun to point out the inaccuracies in avian factoids used in movies and television. This one was an easy one, but I’d like to know why the nuthatch made it into the script in the first place.
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