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Nuthatch Birds Reading Answers

Bhaskar Das

May 3, 2025

Nuthatch Birds Reading Answers is an academic reading answers topic. Nuthatch Birds Reading Answers has a total of 13 IELTS questions in total. In the question set you have to choose the correct heading for each section from the list of headings given. In the next question set given you have to fill the blanks with the correct option in no more than two words.

In the last question set, you have to fill the blank with the correct answer only with one word.

The IELTS Reading section is an essential part of the test that evaluates a candidate's comprehension and analysis of various passage types. You will work through a number of IELTS reading practice problems in this section that resemble actual test situations. These questions are designed to help you improve your ability to recognize essential concepts, extract particular facts, and make inferences. Practicing these IELTS reading problems can help you get comfortable with the structure and increase your confidence for the exam, regardless of whether you are studying for the Academic or General Training module.

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Section 1

NUTHATCH BIRDS

A. The name nuthatch is derived from nut hacker, reflecting the bird's method of opening up nuts by jamming them into a crevice then hammering at them. Old country names include mud dabbler and mud stopper, both Of which note the bird's curious habit Of plastering mud around the entrance hole to its nest.

B. Unlike the treecreeper, which only moves up the trunk Of a tree, nuthatches will move both up and down. Once a bird restricted largely to south-eastern England, the 20th century witnessed a spread to the north, With breeding in Scotland first confirmed in 1989. Studies

have shown that large gardens with oak trees provide the optimum habitat for this species. One Of the reasons for the expansion seems to be the nuthatch 's increasing use Of bird feeders and bird tables.

C As anyone who has nuthatches visiting their feeders will know, they are bold and aggressive, able to stand their ground when larger birds such as starlings attempt to intimidate them. They will take food from the bird table to store elsewhere: this can lead to sunflowers sprouting in expected places. Pairs are strongly territorial throughout the year. The fact that food is stored within the territory strengthens the need to defend it.

D. Though they will readily adopt nest boxes, they cannot resist plastering mud around the entrance hole, even if the latter is already the right size. The most favoured natural site for a nuthatch is the old nest hole of a great spotted woodpecker. Nuthatches are one of the noisiest woodland birds in the early spring but are relatively silent when breeding.

E. There are 24 different species of nuthatches in the world: our bird has much the widest distribution, as it breeds continually from Portugal to Korea and Japan. The nuthatch has never been recorded in Ireland. Most nuthatches are highly sedentary, seldom moving far from where they hatched. The average distance travelled by a ringed adult nuthatch is less than a kilometre.

F. No British-ringed individuals have ever been recovered abroad, while similarly no birds ringed on the Continent have been found here. Individuals breeding in Sweden and Norway have distinctive white underparts, unlike the peachy buff of our birds. Remarkably, a red -breasted nuthatch from North America spent nearly seven months at Holkham in Norfolk from October 1989 to May 1990.

G. Perhaps surprisingly, the nuthatch has received little in the way of study in Britain, and most of our knowledge comes from work carried out in Sweden and Belgium. Numbers are known to fluctuate quite widely from year to year, probably reflecting the availability of seed during the winter.

Questions 28-34

Choose the correct heading for each section from the list

of headings below.

List of Headings

i. Sightings in Britain

ii. Origins of the name.

iii. Eating Habits

iv. Dwelling places

v. Sightings in the world

vi. Favourite places

vii. Amount of species

viii. Food storage facilities

ix. Appearance and temperament

28. Section A

Answer: II

Supporting statement:The name nuthatch is derived from nut hacker, reflecting the bird's method of opening up nuts

Keywords: nuthatch, derived

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text Nuthatch gets its name from the word "nut hacker," which describes how the bird cracks nuts open by pressing them into a crack and then hammering at them. Their other names, mud dabbler and mud stopper, refer to the bird's odd practice of covering the entrance hole to its nest with mud.

29. Section B

Answer: IV

Supporting statement:Unlike the treecreeper, which only moves up the trunk Of a tree, nuthatches will move both up and down.

Keywords: treecreeper, trunk

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 1

Explanation: The text states that the dwelling place of the nuthatch is both up and down a tree, in contrast to the treecreeper, which only climbs the trunk.

30. Section C

Answer: III

Supporting statement:They will take food from the bird table to store elsewhere:

Keywords: food, store

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 3

Explanation: The text states that the nuthatch usually takes the food from the feeders and stores it somewhere else indicating its unusual eating habit.

31. Section D

Answer: VI

Supporting statement:The most favoured natural site for a nuthatch is the old nest hole of a great spotted woodpecker.

Keywords: favoured, nest hole

Keyword Location: Para D, Lines 2-3

Explanation: According to the text, the old nest hole of a great spotted woodpecker is the most favorite natural site for the nuthatch to make its nest.

32. Section E

Answer: VII

Supporting statement: There are 24 different species of nuthatches in the world:

Keywords: 24, species

Keyword Location: Para E, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, there are 24 species of nuthatches worldwide, but ours is the one with the most widespread range, breeding continuously from Portuguese to Korea and Japan. There is no record of the nuthatch in Ireland.

33. Section F

Answer: V

Supporting statement: No British-ringed individuals have ever been recovered abroad,

Keywords: British-ringed, abroad

Keyword Location: Para F, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, no British-ringed individuals have ever been discovered abroad, and no birds ringed on the continent have been discovered here. Also notably between October 1989 and May 1990, a North American red-breasted nuthatch lasted over seven months at Holkham in Norfolk.

34. Section G

Answer: I

Supporting statement: The nuthatch has received little in the way of study in Britain,

Keywords: nuthatch, Britain

Keyword Location: Para G, Line 1

Explanation: According to the text, little attention is given to the nuthatch in Britain due to its breeding pattern and most of our knowledge comes from work carried out in Sweden and Belgium.

Questions 35-37

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each answer.

As people who regularly see nuthatches will know, they are very confident and can be quite(35)............ so that they are able to defend themselves when larger birds come and

try to scare them.

Answer: AGGRESSIVE

Supporting statement: They are bold and aggressive,

Keywords: bold, aggressive

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 1

Explanation: The text states that those who frequently observe the nuthatches would know, they are extremely self-assured and capable of being aggressive in order to protect themselves from larger birds that may attempt to frighten them.

They will take food from bird tables and feeders to store, which can lead to many flowers including (36)..............growing in many places.

Answer: SUNFLOWERS

Supporting statement: This can lead to sunflowers sprouting in expected places.

Keywords: sunflowers, sprouting

Keyword Location: Para C, Line 3

Explanation: The text states that sunflowers and other flowers may bloom everywhere as a result of their taking food from bird feeders and tables to store.

They Often travel two together, and are tied to their dwelling place, because their food is housed here, they (37)..............their territory.

Answer: DEFEND

Supporting statement:The fact that food is stored within the territory strengthens the need to defend it.

Keywords: stored, territory

Keyword Location: Para C, Lines 4-5

Explanation: The text states that the nuthatches are linked to their home and frequently wander around in pairs to defend their territory since they keep the food there as stock.

Questions 38 - 40

Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the text for each answer.

NUTHATCH BIRDS

• The name nuthatch comes from nut hacker, which reflects the bird's method of opening up nuts by jamming them into a crevice then (38).............at them.

Answer: HAMMERING

Supporting statement: nuts by jamming them into a crevice then hammering at them.

Keywords: jamming, hammering

Keyword Location: Para A, Line 2

Explanation: The text mentions that the name of the bird is given to them after the method they use to open the nuts in which they position it in the crevice and hammer onto the nut to crack it open

• Old country names include mud dabbler and mud stopper, both of which note the bird's curious habit of plastering mud around the entrance hole to its nest.

• Unlike the (39)..............which only moves up the trunk of a tree, nuthatches will move both up and down.

Answer: TREE CREEPER

Supporting statement: Unlike the treecreeper, which only moves up the trunk Of a tree,

Keywords: treecreeper, tree

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 1

Explanation: The text states that, unlike the treekeeper, the nuthatch moves up and down in the tree.

• Studies have shown that large gardens with oak trees provide the best (40).................. for this species.

Answer: HABITAT

Supporting statement: Studies have shown that large gardens with oak trees provide the optimum habitat for this species.

Keywords: gardens, habitat

Keyword Location: Para B, Line 4

Explanation: The text states that researchers have shown that the birds consider large gardens with oak trees as their optimal natural habitat.

Read More IELTS Reading Related Samples

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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