Bold, quick and energetic, the Red-breasted Nuthatch is in the same family (Passeriformes) as the White-breasted Nuthatch but seen less often in our area.
A small, compact bird with a long, pointed bill, the Red-breasted Nuthatch has a short tail and almost no neck. It is blue-gray with a black cap and stripe through the eye broken by a white stripe over the eye. The underparts are a rust color.
Red-breasted Nuthatches are mainly found in coniferous forests and mountains. Look for them in fir, pine, spruce, hemlock, larch and western red cedar trees. In northeastern North America, they are also found in deciduous trees.
In summer, Red-breasted Nuthatches eat mainly insect, beetles, caterpillars, spiders and ants, and they feed their young the same diet. They also eat from feeders, taking peanuts, sunflower seeds and suet.
They move quickly and in any direction across tree trunks and branches. They rely on the large claw on their one backward-pointing toe to maintain their grip.
During courtship, males have a soft, musical song. In courtship display, the male turns his back toward the female, lifts his head, droops his wings and sways from side to side.
Nuthatches are among the few non-woodpeckers that excavate their own nests from solid wood. Red-breasted Nuthatches collect resin globules from coniferous trees and plaster them around the entrance to the nest hole. The male plasters outside the hole; the female inside the hole. The resin may keep out predators or competitors. The nuthatch avoids the resin by diving directly into the hole.
Northernmost populations of the Red-breasted Nuthatch migrate south for the winter, but other populations may not come south at all. Red-breasted Nuthatches can be irruptive (not normally found in an area). They move south when pine cone production is poor in breeding areas.
Sightings in our area may be in two- to three-year cycles. This winter was a banner season for Red-breasted Nuthatches in the Lehigh Valley.
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| White-breasted Nuthatch |
Nuthatches are little acrobats, climbing head first down the trunk of a tree. They use the tree to collect acorns or nuts but they also use it as a tool. After locating a meaty nut—or grabbing a seed from a backyard feeder—they'll wedge the goodie into a crevice and pound it open with several blows.
In fact, the name "nuthatch" comes from the Middle English word "nuthak," referring to the bird's technique of hacking at a tree to break open the treat.
Their ability to climb down trees head first is accomplished by an extra long back toe claw. While hopping down from the tree, they look for insects or insect eggs that other birds miss when they climb up the tree.
In our area, we mostly see White-breasted or Red-breasted nuthatches. Several other species are found elsewhere across much of the Northern Hemisphere.
The White-breasted Nuthatch is 5 to 6 inches long, with a slate gray back, white face and white belly. The black cap and nape adds contrast. There is some chestnut color on the undertail.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is 4.5 inches long, with a gray back, black cap and obvious black eye line. The breast and belly are rust-colored.
Habitats differ between White-breasted and Red-breasted nuthatches. The Red-breasted lives mostly in forests of spruces, fir, pine, hemlock and western red cedar, however eastern populations will use deciduous forests.
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| Red-breasted Nuthatch |
Nuthatches are monogamous. A pair of male and female Red-breasted Nuthatches work together to excavate cavities for nests. They are aggressive, chasing other cavity dwellers away. They also collect resin globules from evergreen trees and plaster them around the nest hole. This may help keep out predators or competition. To avoid the resin themselves, the nuthatch dives directly through the hole.
White-breasted Nuthatches typically build their nests in natural tree cavities or in abandoned woodpecker holes. They may enlarge the holes but rarely excavate them entirely as the Red-breasted Nuthatch does. Unlike the Red-breasted Nuthatch, the White-breasted species will use a bird house.
Their songs are somewhat similar. The White-breasted Nuthatch's is a rapid, nasal "whi-whi-whi-whi" of six to 12 nearly identical notes lasting 2 or 3 seconds. The Red-breasted Nuthatch's call is a fast series of nasal, hornlike "yank-yank" that can be repeated up to 16 times per minute.
As cold weather approaches in the fall, White-breasted Nuthatches will join chickadees or Tufted Titmice in foraging at bird feeders—it's easier than trying to find seeds in nature. The nuthatch will store the seeds in the furrows of the bark of the tree to eat later in the winter. Unfortunately squirrels sometimes take note of the nuthatch's diligence and grab seeds right after they've been wedged them into place.
We find nuthatches fun to watch at either the seed feeder or the peanut feeder. They enjoy sunflower seeds, peanuts and suet. Try smearing "Wildlife Peanut Butter," a special brand available at The Bird House, on tree bark for nuthatches to eat.
