For those interested in vocals of White-Breasted Nuthatch.....
Comparison of Vocalizations of Four U.S. Subspecies of The
White-Breasted Nuthatch, Pandolfino, E.R., and N.D. Pieplow, Western
Birds, Vol. 46, Number 4, 2015, page 278.
This article has interesting information on the vocalizations of the
White-breasted Nuthatch, and highlights what to listen for when
encountering this species and attempting to determine the subspecies,
and Oregon likely has two subspecies. (and useful for nearby northern
California also)
For those interested in the vocalizations, there is an online link to
those used in the article. The “tooey” call for the Pacific
subspecies, currently suggested for the Westside of the Cascades (but
more observations needed), which was noted in the Field Identification
section: “On the basis of our analysis, S.c. aculeate can be
confidently identified if one hears the more common tooey song, as no
other subspecies sings a similar song.” Further, one can also go to
the same online link and listen to the examples of the “dissyllabic
quank call” made by all the subspecies of White-breasted Nuthatch,
but the calls of the S.c. tenuissima (likely found east of the
Cascades in Oregon), “or rapid quank calls should allow one to
confidently identify a nuthatch as either S.c. nelsoni or
tenuissima” (Interior subspecies of White-breasted Nuthatch).
The online link: www.westernfieldornithologist.org/W-B_Nuthatch/ [1]
Knowing these vocalizations will apparently help in distinguishing
the two subspecies here in Oregon, and northern California and help
with probable distribution. It has been suggested that this species
may be split.
Kevin Spencer
rriparia@xxxxxxxxxxx
Klamath Falls, OR
Links:
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[1] http://www.westernfieldornithologist.org/W-B_Nuthatch/
