White throated American nuthatches are regular visitors to our feeders. They are sleek, neat and distinguished by their habit of feeding upside down and moving quickly up and down the feeders or neighboring tree trunks.
I saw this fluffy, maybe young, nuthatch sitting on the decking rail, rather spread out. While I watched him and by the time I had got the camera out he had also dropped his head over the edge and looked to be in a bad way.
Moments after this photo was taken, however, he gathered himself up, flew to the feeder looking as sleek as ever and then flew off before I had a chance to take a 'miracle recovery' photo!
Such odd behaviour. Various suggestions are made online as to why birds (not just nuthatches) may do this.
Are they playing dead because a predator is passing? Are they simply sunning themselves? - it was very hot.
Another suggestion which I have heard before in relation to blackbirds on the lawn spreading their feathers out is that they are spreading their wings to enable ants to feed on parisitic mites that live in their feathers.
I have seen birds sitting low, fluffing and spreading their feathers before but this is the first one I have seen which has flopped over quite so convincingly!
It does look a little like a specimen the cat has brought in. I'm glad it was okay!
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