Pygmies have big presence

The pygmy nuthatch is one of our smaller birds, but it sure can't be beat for noise and energy when a flock gets going.

They sound as if they must argue non-stop, and they are like little dogs, ready to tackle and chase away all the big dogs in the neighborhood.

And they are certainly the birds of high places. The pines of my backyard and neighborhood are full of the little squeakers, but I can't remember ever seeing one near the ground. In fact, they move so quickly, so far up in the trees, that they can be tough to identify by sight. These little feather balls are regular dynamos of pygmy power.

More often than not, it seems, I find the pygmies by hearing them long before I ever see one. Just as with the nasal "yank-yank" call of their larger and somewhat more sedate (that's really relative) cousin, the red-breasted nuthatch, the woods may be full of their call, but you may be hard-pressed to ever find the caller.

But hear them you will. Pygmies live in small family flocks that love to call to each other incessantly in high, peeping notes that often deteriorate into rapid squeaks and chips as the relatives become especially agitated. And "especially agitated" is a phrase that describes these flocks most of the time, I'd say.

For some reason, pygmy nuthatches tolerate swallows in their territories pretty well, but they are about all. Other nuthatch species and chickadees, should they enter the area during nesting season, will quickly be driven away.

Pygmy nuthatches are indeed tiny birds, but that only seems to allow them to apply their abundance of energy to feats unattainable by most other species. There are a number of "bark specialist" birds that make their living from the bark of their favorite trees. Woodpeckers, brown creepers and nuthatches are obvious examples. Part of the thrill of seeing a brown creeper is watching it spiral up a tree as it pokes into cracks and crevices. And in the process of watching a woodpecker pound and poke, pound and poke in its search for hidden insects, one will follow its progress up the tree.

Pygmies, however, prefer to start at the top of the tree, their favorite part, and scurry head first, angling sideways all the way, down the tree. They are our only example of this type of behavior. But they are well suited for it. Despite their generally stocky appearance, pygmy nuthatches have especially long toes and long, sharp gripping nails. This characteristic not only allows their down- the-tree antics, but encourages their highly acrobatic and predominate feeding strategy of hanging up side down from needle clusters at the ends of pine branches.

From this precarious position, their long, narrow beaks glean small bugs. These insects are required during nesting season as a critical protein source, but are also preferred at other times of the year. In the fall and winter, however, pine seeds become an important substitute. Seeds are so important, in fact, that pygmy nuthatches store them away in bark crevices for later use.

Another unique aspect of the little dynamos is the cohesive nature of their family unit. I guess it makes sense as their calls so often sound like squabbling. Pygmy nuthatch young, especially the males, hang around through the next nesting season and help rear their year- younger siblings by bringing food and defending the territory.

Then, through the cold nights of winter, as this species does not migrate, the family will huddle (or snuggle) together in a tree cavity. At first light though, they are back out, chattering throughout the neighborhood. On many a New Year's morning the pygmy nuthatch has been my first bird of the new year.

Well, these guys may be small, but they certainly do not lack for energy, voice or acrobatic ability. Year-round; snow, rain or sun; morning, noon, or evening; anytime I need a lift, I just have to walk out my door and my neighborhood families of pygmy nuthatches will certainly bring a smile to my face. I couldn't imagine living without trees around, but mostly that's because I couldn't imagine living without my daily dose of pygmy power.

Copyright 2003 Cowles Publishing Company
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