How many nuthatch species in Colorado?

[Ted Floyd]

Hello, Birders.

Coverage in the May/June 2014 Birding may be of particular interest to Colorado birders. A feature article on White-breasted Nuthatches is by Colorado's own wandering tattler, Steve Mlodinow. The White-breasted Nuthatch situation is especially relevant to Colorado birders, as we have two distinctive populations (perhaps separate species) in the state: Carolina Nuthatches along the eastern tier of counties and west sparingly toward the Front Range foothills, and Rocky Mountain Nuthatches in the, um, Rockies and sparingly east onto the plains.

How do you tell them apart?

Well, read Steve's article and find out for yourself! Here's a free PDF download:

http://aba.org/birding/2014-MAY-JUN/14-3_08Mlodinow-R4.pdf

As Steve notes in his article, the call notes of the nuthatches are especially important for ID. Unfortunately, it is hard to listen to nuthatches on the printed pages of a bird magazine (although give the technology a few years...). So Birding magazine has put some audio online. Two of the recordings at the ABA's website are by another peripatetic Colorado birder, Eric DeFonso. Listen to the audio here:

http://blog.aba.org/2014/07/how-many-species-of-white-breasted-nuthatches.html

Finally, I note that the May/June issue features the photography of various Colorado birders, among them Glenn Walbek, Bill Schmoker, and Jeff Gordon.

Thanks to Steve, Eric, Glenn, Bill, Jeff, and so many other Colorado birders for their great contributions over the years to Birding magazine and to the ABA.

Ted Floyd

Lafayette, Boulder County, Colorado