White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Description: The White-breasted Nuthatch is a little bird that has a large head relative to its body. The neck is virtually absent. Its tail is small, but its beak is lengthy and quite powerful. The nuthatch is 5.1-5.6 in. in length, has a wingspan of 7.9-10.6 in., and weighs approximately 0.6-1.1 oz. The White-breasted Nuthatch has gray and blue coloring on its back and white coloring on its face and belly. Its black or gray coloring on the top of its head seems like a cap. The coloring of the lower belly and the underside of the tail is frequently reddish-brown.
Habitat: The Nuthatch can be found year-round in most of the contiguous Unites States and parts of Mexico. White-breasted Nuthatches live in woodlands. They often nest in maple, hickory, basswood, and oak trees. In rare occasions, they can be found in coniferous forests. White-breasted Nuthatches nest in tree cavities. They do not create these cavities on their own, but seek an existing cavity to build their nest in. Female nuthatches build the nests in the cavities. They line the cavity with bark, fur, and dirt. They then construct the nest from soft substances such as shredded bark and feathers.
Diet: White-breasted Nuthatches predominantly eat insects. Typical insects eaten by the nuthatch are: weevil larvae, Wood-boring beetle larvae, tree hoppers, scale insects, ants, gall fly larvae, caterpillars, stinkbugs, click beetles, and spiders. They also eat some seeds and nuts, such as: acorns, hawthorn, sunflower seeds, and corn.
Behaviors:
Miscellaneous:
Habitat: The Nuthatch can be found year-round in most of the contiguous Unites States and parts of Mexico. White-breasted Nuthatches live in woodlands. They often nest in maple, hickory, basswood, and oak trees. In rare occasions, they can be found in coniferous forests. White-breasted Nuthatches nest in tree cavities. They do not create these cavities on their own, but seek an existing cavity to build their nest in. Female nuthatches build the nests in the cavities. They line the cavity with bark, fur, and dirt. They then construct the nest from soft substances such as shredded bark and feathers.
Diet: White-breasted Nuthatches predominantly eat insects. Typical insects eaten by the nuthatch are: weevil larvae, Wood-boring beetle larvae, tree hoppers, scale insects, ants, gall fly larvae, caterpillars, stinkbugs, click beetles, and spiders. They also eat some seeds and nuts, such as: acorns, hawthorn, sunflower seeds, and corn.
Behaviors:
- White-breasted Nuthatches forage for food along the bark of trees. They typically start foraging at the tops of trees and work their way down the tree, beak pointing toward the ground.
- They bang nuts and seeds against bark to open them
- Nuthatches live in pairs (they mate for life) and guard their territory from other nuthatches
- Aggressive behavior includes displaying the tail, beating the wings, and lifting feathers
- Submissive behavior includes lifting the bill and lowering the wings
Miscellaneous:
- There are 9 sub species of the White-breasted Nuthatch