There has been a good deal written on COBIRDS about Red-breasted Nuthatches in the Metro area this year. There is interest, fascination, and maybe some surprise at their presence? I have them practically daily at my house this time of year.
Most Colorado birders know or know of the eminent and scholarly Bob Righter and his contributions to the knowledge of birds in Colorado!
Bob posted the following e-mail about Red-breasted Nuthatches on COBIRDS 10 years ago!
Hi:
In Denver the Red-breasted Nuthatch has become a resident species. Where I live, around DU, I would consider it a locally common species and has been present all year for over a decade. I've also heard from others that the same phenomenon has occurred in other Front Range cities. This is an amazing expansion of its range from the spruce-fir forest of Colorado to its urban, front range cities. How far east this expansion has gone I don't know.
My favorite hunch on why all this has happened is that at some point the growth of trees in the urban areas had reached an attractive height and density to provide amply cavities for nesting for this species . This phenomenon would make a wonderful study, not by me, on how and why this has occurred and at what point in critical mass did this occur. A reason could be as insignificant as all the twigs on the big trees grew a quarter of an inch and bingo, there is the Red-breasted Nuthatch in our back yards!!
Bob Righter
Denver CO
In Denver the Red-breasted Nuthatch has become a resident species. Where I live, around DU, I would consider it a locally common species and has been present all year for over a decade. I've also heard from others that the same phenomenon has occurred in other Front Range cities. This is an amazing expansion of its range from the spruce-fir forest of Colorado to its urban, front range cities. How far east this expansion has gone I don't know.
My favorite hunch on why all this has happened is that at some point the growth of trees in the urban areas had reached an attractive height and density to provide amply cavities for nesting for this species . This phenomenon would make a wonderful study, not by me, on how and why this has occurred and at what point in critical mass did this occur. A reason could be as insignificant as all the twigs on the big trees grew a quarter of an inch and bingo, there is the Red-breasted Nuthatch in our back yards!!
Bob Righter
Denver CO
August 2, 2007
Thanks, Chris
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