White-breasted Nuthatch: February Bird of the Month
White-breasted Nuthatch – Exceptional Climber
Article by Ava Steenstrup
White-breasted Nuthatches have a white face, a dark straight bill, blue-gray upperparts with black in the wings and tail, white underparts, and rusty undertail coverts. Males and females generally look the same, however, females have a dark gray crown while the male’s cap is black.
White-breasted Nuthatches can be easily identified by their impressive skill of climbing down a tree trunk or large branch headfirst while searching for insects, insect eggs, and larvae hidden in the crevices of the bark using their long, pointed beak. Their gravity-defying movement is completely natural and they can also walk sideways and occasionally go up a trunk or larger tree limbs as well. Unlike woodpeckers and creepers, nuthatches do not need stiff bracing tails for support, they grasp the tree with long toes, down-turned claws, and a long, clawlike hind toe on each foot.
As a group, nuthatches most likely got their name because they do “hatch” nuts. They will grab a large seed or nut, carry it to a tree, wedge it between two pieces of bark to secure it, then hack it open with their beak.
During the breeding season, White-breasted Nuthatches eat mainly insects, including beetle larvae, other beetles, ants, caterpillars, and even spiders. Nuthatches also feed on seeds and nuts, especially in fall and winter and are regular visitors to bird feeders. They feed on sunflower seed, corn, other seeds, and suet.
It has been observed that White-breasted nuthatches are more likely to visit an exposed bird feeder if they are accompanied by other small birds, like chickadees and titmice. This may be because chickadees and titmice are vocal in sounding an alarm if they spot predators nearby. These three birds are often found together in small flocks during the non-breeding season.
While males are the only ones that sing, both males and females make a variety of calls. Their calls are low pitched and nasal sounding, consisting of repeating a “yank” note several times in a row. Contact calls between the male and female are given most often in the fall and winter.
White-breasted Nuthatches prefer woodland edges in mature deciduous forests, but are also found in mixed deciduous-conifer forests, suburban areas, and parks. They nest in a natural tree cavity or an abandoned woodpecker nest in a large deciduous tree and may occasionally use a nest box. They are monogamous and remain together until they die or one of the birds disappears. During the breeding season, which takes place in May and June, the female builds the nest and lays eggs. The birds lay only a single clutch in a single season.
Did you know?To ward off predators, White-breasted Nuthatches apply substances like sap or mud to the entrance of their nests. Scientists believe they do this to remove or mask their natural odor so as not to give their location away to predators. They also often use a crushed beetle to smear the entrance and inside of a cavity to give the nest a noxious odor that repels squirrels and other nest predators.