How to identify a Red-breasted Nuthatch
The head pattern is the quickest clue. A black eyeline runs through the face, with a clean white stripe above it. The crown is black in adult males and usually dark gray in females.
The belly ranges from pale cinnamon to rich rusty orange. Females and young birds tend to look paler. Like other nuthatches, this bird moves headfirst down trunks as well as upward and sideways.
Size and similar nuthatches
Adults are about 11 cm long, weigh 8 to 13 g, and have a wingspan of 18 to 20 cm. They are smaller than White-breasted Nuthatches.
White-breasted Nuthatches have a white face and underparts without the strong black eyeline or rusty belly. The detailed nuthatch comparison covers size, colour, voice, habitat, and range.
What does a Red-breasted Nuthatch sound like?
The usual call is a high, nasal yank-yank. It sounds thinner and more hurried than the call of a White-breasted Nuthatch.
Males repeat similar hornlike notes as a song, especially during the breeding season. Learning that sound can reveal a bird high in a conifer before it comes into view.
What do Red-breasted Nuthatches eat?
They search bark, cones, and branches for insects, spiders, and seeds. Conifer seeds are important, and birds may store food in bark crevices for later.
At feeders they take sunflower seed, peanuts, and suet. Follow the links to sunflower-seed visitors, suet-eating birds, and bird seed choices.
Range, habitat, and irruptions
Red-breasted Nuthatches breed across northern forests and western mountains. Conifers such as spruce, fir, pine, and hemlock are central to their habitat.
Many remain year-round, but numbers can shift dramatically. In some autumns, birds move south or to lower elevations when northern cone crops are poor. These irregular movements are called irruptions.
Nesting and behaviour
A pair excavates a cavity in a dead tree or soft dead section of a living tree. They may also use an old woodpecker hole or a nest box.
The adults often smear sticky conifer resin around the entrance, sometimes carrying it on bark or another object. The nest cup inside is made from bark, grass, and other soft material.
Frequently asked questions
Do Red-breasted Nuthatches visit feeders?
Yes. They take sunflower seed, peanut pieces, and suet, especially when natural cone crops are limited.
Do Red-breasted Nuthatches migrate?
Some remain year-round, while others make irregular southward or downhill movements that change from year to year.
Why do nuthatches go down trees headfirst?
Their strong feet and long claws let them face downward while searching bark from angles that many other birds do not use.
More familiar birds
Continue with White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, or browse Common Birds.