Species

Red-breasted nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

A small, rusty-bellied nuthatch of northern conifers that irrupts south into Georgia in some winters.

Photo Matt Felperin (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Migration

At a glance

Size: About 11 cm long
Weight: About 8 to 13 g
Habitat: Conifers and mixed woods
Diet: Conifer seeds and insects
In Georgia: An irregular winter visitor; a few nest in the high mountains
Voice: A nasal, tinny "yank-yank"
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Blue-grey back; black cap; white eyebrow; black eye-line; rusty underparts
Told apart from: White-breasted nuthatch, which is larger with a white face and breast
Told apart from: Brown-headed nuthatch, which has a brown cap
Where to look: Pines and feeders in irruption winters

Behaviour

Red-breasted nuthatches climb head first down trees, picking insects from bark. They smear sticky resin around their nest holes, perhaps to keep out predators and competitors.

Why they matter

When conifer seed crops fail in the north, red-breasted nuthatches move south in large numbers, bringing them to Georgia feeders in some winters. Their irruptions help scientists track seed crops across the continent.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A cavity excavated in dead wood, surrounded by resin
Eggs — Usually five to eight
Incubation — About 12 to 13 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 18 to 21 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Conifers in yards attract them in irruption winters.

Misconceptions

Nuthatches are woodpeckers. They are songbirds that climb head first down trees.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Wintering in irruption years	Wintering	Leaving	Nesting in the north and mountains	Nesting	Chicks	Young fledging	Present in the north	Moving south in irruption years	Arriving	Wintering	Wintering

Where it lives

Recorded in 62 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

If you found one

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