Introduction:

The White-breasted Nuthatch is an inquisitive bird seen often at feeders and creeping headfirst down tree trunks.  It is named for its habit of using its beak to "hatch" open seeds & nuts that it has secured in cracks of tree bark.  
 

What to Look For:

• small bird [5"-6"] with a long bill and short tail climbing headfirst down large tree trunks

• white face & breast; blue-gray back

• black [male] or dark gray [female] cap
 

Where to Look:

• trunks & branches of deciduous trees
 

Range & Habitat:

• southern Canada to northern Florida & southern Mexico; non-migratory

• mature deciduous forests, especially at edges

• parks & suburbs with large trees
 

Diet:

• insects

• nuts & seeds, often stored in crevices for future use
 

Lifespan:  

• 2 years 

• oldest known lived 10 years in the wild
 

Courtship & Nesting:

• territorial all year, with pairs staying together

• nests in tree cavities lined with fur, fine grass, shredded bark

• nest building and incubation by the female alone, with the male helping to feed the female and the young

• 3-10 creamy eggs with red-brown speckles; one brood per year

• incubation 12-14 days; fledging at 26 days
 

Did You Know ..... that White-breasted Nuthatches

• roost head downward

• will take over woodpecker nest cavities, reducing the hole size with a rim of mud

• have been seen scouring the entrance holes of their nests with crushed blister beetles, fur, or vegetation to cover their scent

• join foraging flocks of chickadees & titmice in winter

--This material compiled by members of the PBC Education Committee; Beth Bursuck, Dan Chambers, Judi Durr, Jean Murdick, Emily Tyler, Mary Woodrow and Melissa Whitmire