Species

White-breasted nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

A small, upside-down climber that walks head first down tree trunks, calling a nasal 'yank-yank'.

Photo Rhododendrites (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 13 to 14 cm long
Weight: About 18 to 30 g
Habitat: Mature deciduous woods, parks and yards with large trees
Diet: Insects, acorns, nuts and seeds
In Georgia: Common resident in the north; uncommon in the south
Voice: A nasal "yank" and a rapid "wer-wer-wer" song
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Blue-grey back; white face and breast; black cap; chestnut under the tail
Told apart from: Red-breasted nuthatch, which is smaller with a rusty belly and eye-line
Where to look: Tree trunks and feeders

Behaviour

White-breasted nuthatches climb down tree trunks head first, finding insects that birds climbing upward miss. They wedge nuts into bark and hammer them open.

Why they matter

By searching bark from a different angle, nuthatches find insects that woodpeckers and creepers miss. They also hide seeds, helping trees spread.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Nest — A tree cavity lined with fur and bark
Eggs — Usually five to nine
Incubation — About 13 to 14 days
Chicks — Fed by both parents
Flight — At about 26 days
Lifespan — Several years

Living around people

Large old trees in yards give them nest sites.

Misconceptions

Birds going down trees head first are falling. Nuthatches climb that way on purpose.

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	Pairs in mixed flocks	Singing	Nesting	Nesting	Chicks	Young fledging	Families	Present	Caching seeds	Caching seeds	Mixed flocks	Mixed flocks

Where it lives

Recorded in 76 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

Canada

Mexico

If you found one

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