Detailed images have not been published for this plate. Check back soon!

Painted

1912

Published

1929

Volume

12

Plate

728

We want to see all of Rex's birds here, too.

A team of dedicated board members, volunteers, and student interns has published every page in Volume 9. This volume includes 360 images of paintings and lyrical descriptions of birds, now available online for everyone to enjoy anywhere in the world. This is a monumental task. Each volume requires approximately 400  hours to photograph, edit, transcribe, catalog, and publish online. We need your support to complete this work.

If you're tech-savvy, have a good eye, are meticulous with details, and love structured data, please consider volunteering by emailing us at hello@rexbrasher.org.

We encourage all bird lovers and supporters to consider a monetary donation to support our mission to make Rex's work available for everyone. You can provide a one-time or recurring donation online.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

DESCRIPTION

Thot has not kept pace with our mechanical advance. Airplanes and cars have penetrated into unexplored spaces but a majority of human algae probably still believe the earth is flat. In fact a gentleman set forth this year (1928) from these United States to prove that theory! But there are rifts in the fog. Most of us no longer believe in a personal devil with horns, tail and vermilion skin and it is a safe guess that bird students the world over do not subscribe to the legend that the Nuthatch received its name because it was hatched from an incubated nut.

The RED-BREAST prefers coniferous forests of secluded areas and is, in consequence, less often seen than its larger relative. They are friendly little chaps notwithstanding their exclusiveness. While lunching one September noon in the Maine woods a pair but-butted and quank-quanked for half an hour in the spruces within a few feet and one venturesome mite investigated the piece of bacon I offered him but was not quite courageous enuf to alight on my fingers. He would advance in hesitant little hops along the down trunk I was seated upon and bill the bacon inquiringly but refused to leave the familiar bark for the strange territory of my hand. He did not eat the bacon.

They seemed glad to find company in those lonesome woods and accompanied me with cheery quanks for nearly a mile. I wondered if they were the same two that had raised a family in the Spring and still lived together, or had they met by chance and were just keeping company for sociability? Quien sabe!

The field of speculation is one of the charms of birding and they are wise who do not stray from it into the weeds of dogmatic statement.

Nuthatches are expert wing shots. I have seen them sally into the air from a beach cedar perch and catch flying insects with Phoebe accuracy. One fearless Nimrod even had the courage to seize and bring to the dune a Monarch butterfly that, in company with thousands of its kind, was struggling southward in September.

BREEDING

NEST in holes of stumps or dead trees, usually poplar or white birch, seldom more than 20 feet up; constructed of bits of pine bark, lined with fine grass and entrance encircled with a ring of fir gum or pitch! Here's a chance for the question mark. Is it done with the idea of keeping out "ghosties and ghasties and things that go boomp i' the nicht," discouraging ants or intended to glue bird enemies fast?

EGGS, 4 to 8, grayish white, spotted with red brown around large end.

RANGE

North America. Breeds in Canadian zone from upper Yukon valley, southern Mackenzie, central Keewatin, northern Quebec, and New Foundland south to Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts. In Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains to California, Arizona and New Mexico. In Alleghenies to North Carolina. Winters from southern Canada south to Lower California, New Mexico, Arizona and the Gulf coast.

Black Birch

Betula lenta

DESCRIPTION

One of the commonest of our northern birches, growing in heavy woods with branchless 2 foot trunk to 80 feet but branching from the base in open situations. Don't tackle the latter for fire wood with the idea of splitting them—they're as cross grained as some scientists—I know, for I've mixed with them both! Range from Canada, west to Iowa, Indiana and Illinois, south to western Florida.

red-breasted-nuthatch
cactus-wren-bryant-cactus-wren-san-lucas-cactus-wren
Cactus Wren, Bryant Cactus Wren, San Lucas Cactus Wren
713-713a-713b
rock-wren-san-nicolas-rock-wren-guadalupe-rock-wren
Rock Wren, San Nicolas Rock Wren, Guadalupe Rock Wren
715-715a-715b
white-throated-wren-canyon-wren-dotted-canyon-wren
White-Throated Wren, Canyon Wren, Dotted Canyon Wren
717-717a-717b
carolina-wren-florida-wren-lomita-wren
Carolina Wren, Florida Wren, Lomita Wren
718-718a-718b
bewick-wren-vigor-wren-baird-wren
Bewick Wren, Vigor Wren, Baird Wren
719-719a-719b
san-clemente-wren-guadalupe-wren
San Clemente Wren, Guadalupe Wren
719.1-720
texas-wren-san-diego-wren-seattle-wren
Texas Wren, San Diego Wren, Seattle Wren
719c-719d-719e
house-wren-western-house-wren
House Wren, Western House Wren
721-721a
winter-wren-western-winter-wren-kadiak-winter-wren
Winter Wren, Western Winter Wren, Kadiak Winter Wren
722-722a-722b
alaska-wren-aleutain-wren
Alaska Wren, Aleutian Wren
723-723.1
short-billed-marsh-wren
Short-Billed Marsh Wren
724
long-billed-marsh-wren-tule-wren
Long-Billed Marsh Wren, Tule Wren
725-725a
worthington-marsh-wren-western-marsh-wren-prairie-marsh-wren-marian-marsh-wren
Worthington Marsh Wren, Western Marsh Wren, Prairie Marsh Wren, Marian Marsh Wren
725b-725c-725d-725e
brown-creeper-mexican-creeper
Brown Creeper, Mexican Creeper
726-726a
rocky-mountain-creeper-california-creepeer-sierra-creeper
Rocky Mountain Creeper, California Creeper, Sierra Creeper
726b-726c-726d
white-breasted-nuthatch-slender-billed-nuthatch-florida-white-breasted-nuthatch
White-Breasted Nuthatch, Slender-Billed Nuthatch, Florida White-Breasted Nuthatch
727-727a-727b
rocky-mountain-nuthatch-san-lucas-nuthatch
Rocky Mountain Nuthatch, San Lucas Nuthatch
727c-727d
red-breasted-nuthatch
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
728
brown-headed-nuthatch
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
729
pygmy-nuthatch-white-naped-nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch, White-Naped Nuthatch
730-730a
tufted-titmouse
Tufted Titmouse
731
black-crested-titmouse-sennett-titmouse
Black-Crested Titmouse, Sennett Titmouse
732-732a
plain-titmouse-gray-titmouse-ashy-titmouse
Plain Titmouse, Gray Titmouse, Ashy Titmouse
733-733a-733b
bridled-titmouse
Bridled Titmouse
734
chickadee-long-tailed-chickadee
Chickadee, Long-Tailed Chickadee
735-735a
oregon-chickadee-yukon-chickadee
Oregon Chickadee, Yukon Chickadee
735b-735c
carolina-chickadee-plumbeous-chickadee-florida-chickadee
Carolina Chickadee, Plumbeous Chickadee, Florida Chickadee
736-736a-736b
mexican-chickadee
Mexican Chickadee
737
mountain-chickadee-bailey-mountain-chickadee
Mountain Chickadee, Bailey Mountain Chickadee
738-738a
alaska-chickadee
Alaska Chickadee
739
hudsonian-chickadee-acadian-chickadee
Hudsonian Chickadee, Acadian Chickadee
740-740a
chestnut-backed-chickadee-california-chickadee-barlow-chickadee
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, California Chickadee, Barlow Chickadee
741-741a-741b
bushtit-california-bushtit-grinda-bushtit
Bushtit, California Bushtit, Grinda Bushtit
743-743a-743b
lead-colored-bushtit-lloyds-bushtit
Lead Colored Bushtit, Lloyd Bushtit
744–745
verdin-cape-verdin
Verdin, Cape Verdin
746-746a
wrentit-pallid-wrentit
Wrentit, Pallid Wrentit
747-747a
coast-wrentit-ruddy-wrentit
Coast Wrentit, Ruddy Wrentit
747b-747c
golden-crowned-kinglet
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748
western-goden-crowned-kinglet
Western Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748a
ruby-crowned-kinglet
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749
sitka-kinglet
Sitka Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749a
dusky-kinglet
Dusky Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749b
blue-gray-gnatcatcher-western-gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Western Gnatcatcher
751-751a
plumbeous-gnatcatcher-black-tailed-gnatcatcher
Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher
752-753
townsends-solitaire
Townsend’s Solitaire
754
wood-thrush
Wood Thrush
755
veery
Veery
756
willow-thrush
Willow Thrush
756a
gray-cheeked-thrush-bicknells-thrush
Gray-Cheeked Thrush, Bicknell’s Thrush
757-757a
russet-backed-thrush
Russet-Backed Thrush
758
olive-backed-thrush
Olive-Backed Thrush
758a
alaska-hermit-thrush
Alaska Hermit Thrush
759
audubons-hermit-thrush
Audubon’s Hermit Thrush
759a
hermit-thrush
Hermit Thrush
759b
dwarf-hermit-thrush-monterey-hermit-thrush-sierra-hermit-thrush
Dwarf Hermit Thrush, Monterey Hermit Thrush, Sierra Hermit Thrush
759c-759d-759e
robin
Robin
761
western-robin-southern-robin
Western Robin, Southern Robin
761a-761b
san-lucas-robin
San Lucas Robin
762
varied-thrush
Varied Thrush
763
northern-varied-thrush
Northern Varied Thrush
763a
wheatear-greenland-wheatear
Wheatear, Greenland Wheatear
765-765a
bluebird
Bluebird
766
azure-bluebird
Azure Bluebird
766a
western-bluebird
Western Bluebird
767
chestnut-backed-bluebird
Chestnut-Backed Bluebird
767a
san-pedro-bluebird
San Pedro Bluebird
767b
mountain-bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
768