Educational Corner: White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
White-breasted Nuthatch. Photo © Carol Freeman.
The White-breasted Nuthatch is a small songbird which breeds in old-growth woodland across much of temperate North America. The nine subspecies differ mainly in the color of the body plumage. The Nuthatch forages for insects on trunks and branches, and is able to move head-first down trees. Seeds form a substantial part of its winter diet, as do acorns and hickory nuts that were stored by the bird in the fall. The nest is in a hole in a tree, and a breeding pair may smear insects around the entrance as a deterrent to squirrels. Nuthatches may be attacked by hawks, owls and snakes. While clearing of forests may lead to local habitat loss, this is a common species with no major conservation concerns over most of its range.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sittidae
Facts:
• White-breasted Nuthatches are the largest North American nuthatch, and the only one with clear white on the face all the way around the eye.
• They are common feeder birds. We can attract them by offering sunflower seeds, peanuts or suet.
