>This past weekend we watched a red-breasted nuthatch as it visited the
>feeder. After eating it's fill (cracking seeds open while hanging upside
>down on the truck), we noticed it was actually implanting additional seeds
>under the bark of two or three different trees.
>
>I hadn't noticed this behavior in the past so thought I'd share it with you.
>
>Peggi Rodgers

Nuthatches are among the best cachers in the bird world. We have 3-4 of
them coming to our feeder constantly through much of the day, flying off
with a sunflower seed, then back again in a few moments. They go in all
directions. Not having them marked, I don't know exactly how many there
are, but I've seen 3 at once, and, from when there's only been one, it's
obvious that a given individual flies in a variety of directions when it
leaves the feeder and presumably deposits caches all over the place.
Probably several birds cache in the same tree.

Cacheing behavior in nuthatches and chickadees, as well as jays and crows,
has been fairly well studied in recent years. These birds cache thousands
of items through the summer and fall, then feed throughout the winter on
those that haven't been taken by other searchers. Birds that cache have a
well-developed memory to find their food items.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 206-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 206-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416