A Synopsis of the Birds of North America

by John James Audubon

Plate XLIII. Male and Female.

General colour light greyish-brown, passing behind into ash-grey, before into pale brownish-red, of which colour is the upper part of the head; a black band on the forehead passing backwards over the eye to the occiput, and margined above and below by a narrow white band; feathers in the angle of the lower mandible black; abdomen pale yellow; lower tail-coverts white; wings and tail dull leaden-blue, darker toward the end; primaries with a very small pale yellow spot at the tip, secondaries tipped with an oblong wax-red appendage, as are the tail-feathers, of which the extremity is bright yellow. Female similar to the male but somewhat smaller. The oblong appendages to the wings vary from nine to three. Young with the upper parts of a uniform dull greenish-brown, lower parts of the same colour, the throat pale buff, abdomen and lower tail-coverts yellowish-white.

Male, 6³/₄, 11.

From Texas northward to the Fur Countries. Westward to the Columbia River. Extremely abundant in Louisiana during winter.

Bombycilla carolinensis, Briss. v. ii. p. 337.

Cedar Bird, Ampelis americana, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 107.

Bombycilla carolinensis, Bonap. Syn. p. 59.

Cedar Bird or Cherry Bird, Nutt. Man. v. i.

Cedar Bird, Bombycilla carolinensis, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 227; v. v. p. 494.

FAMILY XXIII. SITTINÆ. NUTHATCHES.

Bill of moderate length or rather long, straight, rather slender, conico-subulate, somewhat compressed, with the tips acute, or cuneate. Head ovate; neck short; body full. Tarsi rather short, or of moderate length, slender, compressed, with seven or eight scutella; toes long, very slender; hind toe extremely long; anterior little spreading; claws long, little arched, slender, much compressed, acute. Plumage soft and full. Wings of moderate length, broad, rounded. Tail short, broad, of twelve feathers. Roof of upper mandible very narrow, slightly concave, with three ridges; tongue very slender, with the tip abrupt and bristly; œsophagus without dilatation; stomach roundish, moderately muscular; intestine short and wide; cœca very small. Trachea simple; with a single pair of large inferior laryngeal muscles. Allied to the Titmice on the one hand, and the Woodpeckers on the other.

GENUS I. SITTA, Linn. NUTHATCH.

Bill rather long, or of moderate length, straight, conico-subulate, a little compressed, rather obtuse; upper mandible with the dorsal outline very slightly arched, the ridge rather narrow, the sides sloping, the edges sharp without notches, the tip rather blunt; lower mandible with the angle of moderate length and narrow, the dorsal line ascending and very slightly convex, the sides slightly convex, the tip narrow. Nostrils basal, round operculate, partially concealed by the reversed bristly feathers. Head ovate; neck short; body short. Tarsi rather short, stout, compressed, with eight scutella; toes long, much compressed; first very long, second much shorter than fourth; anterior toes adherent at the base. Claws long, arched, much compressed, laterally grooved, acute. Plumage very soft and blended. Small bristles at the base of the upper mandible. Wings rather long, first quill extremely small, third and fourth longest. Tail short, of twelve feathers broad, nearly even. Upper mandible slightly concave with three ridges; tongue slender, very thin, with the point abrupt and terminated by strong bristles; œsophagus without dilatation; stomach rather large, roundish, moderately muscular; intestine rather short and wide; cœca very small.

247. 1. Sitta Carolinensis, Linn. White-breasted Nuthatch.