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White-breasted Nuthatch
Adult male--Upper parts gray; crown black, extending partly down the back; under parts white; under tail feathers and lower part of belly light chestnut.
Adult female--Crown and upper part of back dark gray. Length--6.07.
Breeding Range--Throughout the Eastern States from Georgia northward.
The nest, of feathers, leaves, and hair, is placed in a hole in a tree, a natural cavity, or the abandoned excavation made by a woodpecker may be used indiscriminately, the height from the ground being from sixty feet downwards.
The eggs, numbering 5 to 9, or even 10, are creamy or pinkish white, with numerous spots and specks of light reddish, yellowish, and purplish brown, rather more thickly distributed about the larger end. Size--.77 x .56. See Fig. 4, Plate C.
The White-breasted Nuthatch may be easily distinguished from other nuthatches by his superior size and the absence of black on the cheek. The breeding season begins about the middle of April, two broods being frequently reared.