Tool use among birds is an activity of significant evolutionary and other
interest.
In North America, perhaps the most proficient tool user is the Green Heron,
which actively
and adroitly fishes using 'bait' to lure small (or even fairly large) fish
close enough to
capture. There are some impressive sequences on UTube.
So, I was startled to see a White-breasted Nuthatch probing into bark
crevices with a large twig
last summer. This was on Fall Creek, south of Bend in mid July. The
Nuthatch flew in and landed
on the large, horizontal, lowest branch of a Ponderosa Pine carrying
(struggling with) a large, two-part twig.
The shorter portion was about 3/16" in diameter and it had a parallel side
branch about 1/16" in diameter.
The combination was almost as long as the nuthatch.
Now there were no 'nesting' holes in this horizontal branch and I'm sure it
wasn't just building a nest.
I was not intending to bird on this large, family outing but had borrowed
my son's point and shoot (10x zoom)
because the creek was so birdy. About every other species of bird had
become a flycatcher because the
creek's hatch was really on. Of course a 10x point and shoot without a
viewfinder is not what you want to use for birds.
When I saw what was going on, I attempted to get a photo, which was a waste
of time, and I failed to
see how long the probing went on.
I thought, wow, what an observation. Surely nuthatches aren't known to use
tools.
I got that wrong. Turns out Brown-headed Nuthatches (sorta the SE version
of our Pygmy Nuthatch)
are fairly well know to use bark flakes to probe crevices. Although I've
lived 5 years in Florida, that
was news to me.
Much more searching turned up the Oklahoma report attached. About 25 years
ago a White-breasted
Nuthatch was also observed to use a tool.
Seems like people should keep an eye out for this interesting behavior.
Of course, a lot of speculation could ensue. Were these two birds the
'Einsteins' of White-breasted Nuthatches?
What about their offspring? Etc. etc. etc.
Bob OBrien
Carver OR
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