The pygmy nuthatch is found in pines (especially ponderosa pine), douglas-fir and other conifers feeding on seeds and insects. This is the first one I've seen. I knew it was a nuthatch, but did not realize it was a pygmy nuthatch until my son posted a photo of one in the same area. It was all over this pine cone.
The pygmy nuthatch has a gray cap, a dark eye-line marks the cap, blue-gray upper parts, and dull to bright buff to buffy white underparts. I am assuming I saw ssp. leuconucha, one of six subspecies, which is found along the southwestern California coast. I saw this near Horse Camp in the San Gabriel Mountains which are not on the coast, they are north and east of Los Angeles, but are relatively close to the coast.
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| Illustration of pygmy nuthatch from Birds of the World. |
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| Range from Birds of the World. |
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