Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 3.5–4.3 in
9–11 cm - Weight
- 0.3–0.4 oz
9–11 g
Other Names
- Petite sittelle, Sittelle pygmée (French)
- Sita enana, Saltapalo enano (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- Pygmy Nuthatch is one of only two nuthatch species in the world known to have helpers at the nest. Offspring from previous years help their parents raise young.
- Unique among songbirds, the Pygmy Nuthatch uses three energy-saving mechanisms on cold nights: it uses a protected roost site (hole in a tree), huddles with other nuthatches, and lets its body temperature drop (hypothermia).
- No records exist of Pygmy Nuthatches roosting alone. They always huddle in a group, sometimes with more than 100 in a single cavity.
Habitat
Forest
Pine forests, especially ponderosa and similar long-needled pines. Prefers mature pine forests with dead trees and snags.
Food
Insects
Winter diet insects and seeds, mostly pine seeds. Summer diet mainly insects and spiders. Eats suet and sunflower seeds at feeders.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 5–12 eggs
- Egg Description
- White, sparsely spotted with reddish brown, with heavier markings concentrated on larger end.
- Condition at Hatching
- Helpless and with some down.
Nest Description
Nests in holes in trees; will use nest box. Nest cup of bark shreds, moss, grass, fur, feathers, and other soft material.
Nest Placement
Cavity
Behavior
Bark Forager
Forages in pines, throughout the entire tree. Gleans from foliage, probes in cracks and open pinecones, pries into crevices, and scales off loose bark. Wedges seeds into cracks in wood or bark and pecks seed open.
Conservation
Least Concern
Pygmy Nuthatch serves as an indicator of forest health of ponderosa pine forests, and is listed in several states as a species of special concern. It is less common in forests heavily managed for timber.
Credits
- Kingery, H. E., and C. K. Ghalambor. 2001. Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea). In The Birds of North America, No. 567. (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.