White Breasted Nuthatch

Size:                       

Length: 5-6 in      Weight: .75          Wingspan: 11 in

ID:       

Male: Gray back, wings and tail; white face and underparts; black cap; under tail rusty; blue-gray bill long and sharp; dark gray anisodactylous feet (three toes point forward and one toe points backward); short tail
Female and Juvenile: Similar to male but with gray cap and nape                                    

Habitat:

All types of forest land (prefers mature and dead trees); residential areas in winter

Diet:

Insects, spiders, nuts, seeds; feeders for sunflower seeds, and suet; extracts sunflower seed, tucks into crack in tree bark, uses beak to expose seed; nuthatch from Middle English means hacking (the wedged seed open); may hide seeds near feeder; often climbs headfirst down tree trunks; pairs stay in same feeding territory (25-50 acres) all year

Family Behavior:

Mating Habits:  Monogamous and solitary; may form small colonies; usually mates for life; 1 brood per year
Nests:  Secondary cavities; nest boxes; lines with bark pieces, feathers and hair; built more by female but male helps
Eggs:  3-10  white with brown and lavender markings; female incubates 11-12 days
Nestlings: Born altricial (helpless, naked, eyes closed) and stay in nest 13-14 days; fed by both parents

Social Activities:

Joins mixed-species in winter (especially ones with chickadees who sound alarms to warn of predators)

Range:

 Most of US and Southern Canada; non-migrator

Vocalization:           

Nasal why, why, why and yank, yank, yank