Tag: Conservation Science Stamp

Conservation with impact and heart

By funding habitat protection across our National Wildlife Refuges, the Federal Duck Stamp has long shown what’s possible when people unite for wildlife. At Klamath Bird Observatory, we’re building on that legacy with our Conservation Science Stamp that highlights science-based efforts to protect habitats for all bird species. When you purchase the Conservation Stamp Set, you’re joining birders, hunters, and conservationists who believe in preserving birds and their habitats.

2025-2026 Conservation Science Stamp

The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a small, bluish-gray-backed songbird noted for its pure white underparts, black cap, and habit of creeping head-first down tree trunks. Both males and females share similar plumage, and they are often heard giving nasal churring calls as they forage. These birds probe bark crevices for insects and spiders and cache seeds—especially sunflower kernels and other nuts—wedged into bark fissures before hammering them open.

In the Pacific Northwest, the Slender-billed subspecies (S. c. aculeata) specializes in oak woodlands. Genetic studies suggest that this group diverged in place approximately 350,000 years ago, during the glacial-interglacial climatic shifts of the Pleistocene. It likely evolved to specialize in oak habitats during glacial periods when it was cut off from breeding with other populations of White-breasted Nuthatches by mid-continental glaciers. Today, it nests and roosts almost exclusively in the cavities of mature oak trees—and occasionally in old ponderosa pines—showing strong ties to stands with large trees (diameter at breast height >50 cm) and abundant canopy cover.

Populations of the Slender-billed White-breasted Nuthatch have fallen steadily, earning it “candidate” status in Washington and a “sensitive” designation in Oregon. Fragmentation and loss of mature oak stands, resulting from agriculture, urban development, and fire suppression, have reduced the availability of cavities and foraging habitats. Encroachment by Douglas-fir trees shade out young oaks, while invasive European Starlings and other cavity-nesters vie for nest sites, further stressing nuthatch numbers.

Conservation efforts focus on preserving and restoring large-diameter oaks, as well as their associated cavities. Land managers aim to maintain contiguous oak patches of at least 173 acres with 40–80% canopy cover, supplemented by smaller “stepping-stone” patches of 50 acres to support subpopulations. Prescribed burns help prevent conifer trees from overtaking oak woodlands, and incentive programs encourage private landowners to protect oaks and snags. Continued monitoring of populations and habitat suitability will guide adaptive management to secure the future of this charming woodland bird.

Decade of the Oak

Oaks are foundational to Pacific Northwest ecosystems, hosting some of the region’s richest biodiversity and cultural heritage. The Pacific Northwest Oak Alliance’s Decade of the Oak campaign emphasizes that oak and prairie systems once covered vast landscapes but have been reduced by up to 90 percent in places. These fire-adapted, drought-tolerant habitats support more than 300 vertebrate species, including specialized cavity-nesting birds like the White-breasted Nuthatch, which depends on oak trees for nesting in cavities and foraging for insects. By restoring and protecting large‐diameter oaks, employing prescribed fire to maintain healthy oak woodland habitat, and engaging tribal and community partners in stewardship, the Alliance aims to secure the future of both oaks and the nuthatches that rely on them.

Purchase your Conservation Science Stamp set here

Learn more about oak conservation here

The Artist

Nora Sherwood entered the field of science illustration as a midlife career changer, having spent many years in the high-tech world. She graduated from the University of Washington’s Natural Science Illustration certificate program in the Spring of 2014 and is a full-time, self-employed artist.

Intricate details and patterns found in nature are endlessly fascinating; Nora enjoys the challenge of portraying them on paper. Watercolor – my primary medium – is a highly technical but powerful medium that allows her to construct illustrations in layers, always considering pigment characteristics and color theory to build forms and create depth. She primarily works with organizations such as museums, zoos, government agencies, consumer product companies, and academics.

Explore more of Nora’s work on her website here.

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