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Presidio of San FranciscoCrissy Field Center across the marsh
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Presidio of San Francisco
Pygmy Nuthatch
(Sitta pygmaea)
 
Pygmy Nuthatch
Will Elder,NPS
A Pygmy Nuthatch takes a bath at El Polin Spring.
 

Natural History: The Pygmy Nuthatch feeds on insects, spiders, and pine seeds. It caches it seeds. This species nests in cavities in snags or stumps and breeds from mid-April to mid-August. It tends to guard its territory.

General Distribution: In the Presidio, this bird is found in forests, especially mature stands of conifers. It breeds within the Presidio.

Frequency: This species is abundant all year in the Presidio.

Identifying Characteristics: This species is a small bird with a gray-brown cap and a white spot usually on the back of its neck. It has the tendency to walk upside-down on tree trunks.

Presidio Birds main page

Albert Sidney Johnston  

Did You Know?
Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston, commander of the Pacific branch of the army, prepared the defenses of the San Francisco Bay and ordered the first garrison of Fort Point. Kentucky-born Johnston then resigned his commission to join the Confederate Army; he was killed at the battle of Shiloh in 1862.

Last Updated: November 16, 2007 at 17:22 EST