Beak of the Week: Feeder favorites fly in ahead of fall

I have two beaks this week because I missed last week. 

These are the red-breasted nuthatch and the black-capped chickadee. They both frequent backyard feeders and can be found throughout wooded areas in the Twin Cities. 

I chose to put these two together because novice bird watchers may mistake them for one another. 

A few key differences: Chickadees are rounder and more likely to be seen in pairs or groups. Nuthatches are more slender. Both go upside down to feed, but nuthatches are clinging birds, not unlike woodpeckers, and are upside down as often as they are right side up. 

After collecting a sunflower seed from a feeder, you can watch the nuthatch fly back to a tree where it will smash the seed into the trunk in order to break (hatch) it open. 

Chickadees have a distinct, melodic call that sounds a bit like "chicka dee dee dee dee," whereas nuthatches are not very musical. Instead, they have a repetitive "wah wah wah" sound that can be heard from quite a ways away. 

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you've undoubtedly heard both calls. Try looking them up on YouTube sometime and forevermore you can impress your friends with your bird call knowledge. 

Learn more about chickadees and similar species at https://tinyurl.com/spyesxuy.