Oct 28
Bird ID help
I’ve been enjoying watching the birds on my feeder and most of the time, I can even identify them. Well, not that hard… I don’t get many different species, but this little fella is a mystery to me. First it paid a visit at the peanut stand, just sat there for a while and then flew away. A bit later I saw it foraging on the ground and by then I had the camera, so if anyone recognises this, please share! At first I thought it was a nuthatch with fluffed up feathers (yes, I’m that bad with bird IDs), but then a real nuthatch came over for lunch and I realised that they’re nothing alike. And how often do you see a nuthatch on the ground, anyway… It’s about the size of a great tit, maybe just a touch bigger.
It is a nuthatch Sitta europaea of the race europaea, which is the one living in fennoscandia. In Finland we have met migrating birds from the race asiatica.
Young or sick birds can look very different from the adults. -Especially salmonella makes them look big and fat. Normally nuthatch looks very trimmed and slim, this looks totally different, so no wonder you’re confused.
Thank you! That explains why I couldn’t find it in my bird books… “puffy nuthatch” is not a real species, LOL!
Yes they’re sleek and beautiful birds, I’m happy that my feeder station is proving to be such a hit among them.