White-breasted Nuthatch
January 21, 2015 8:35 am
The visit of a White-brested Nuthatch to my backyard made my day! The morning started very cold, with frost all over and progressively warmed up and that’s when I saw this nice looking bird that I didn’t see before. I just hope that he would stay and nest nearby.
Next I have gathered some more information about this bird that you may find interesting.
The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a small songbird of the nuthatch family which breeds in old-growth woodland across much of temperate North America. It is a stocky bird, with a large head, short tail, powerful bill and strong feet. The upper-parts are pale blue-gray, and the face and underparts are white. It has a black cap and a chestnut lower belly. The nine subspecies differ mainly in the color of the body plumage.
White-breasted Nuthatch
Like other nuthatches, the white-breasted 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 the breeding pair may smear insects around the entrance as a deterrent to squirrels. Adults and young may be killed by hawks, owls and snakes, and forest clearance may lead to local habitat loss, but this is a common species with no major conservation concerns over most of its range.
The breeding habitat of the white-breasted nuthatch is woodland across North America, from southern Canada to northern Florida and southern Mexico. In the eastern part of its range, its preferred habitat is old-growth open deciduous or mixed forest, including orchards, parks, suburban gardens and cemeteries; it is found mainly in the lowlands, although it breeds at 5,495 ft. altitude in Tennessee. In the west and Mexico, this nuthatch is found in open montane pine-oak woodlands, and nesting occurs at up to 10,500 ft. altitude in Nevada, California and Mexico. Pinyon-juniper and riverside woodlands may be used locally where available. The white-breasted nuthatch is the only North American nuthatch usually found in deciduous trees; red-breasted, pygmy and brown-headed nuthatches prefer pines.
The White-breasted Nuthatch is listed as # 203 – Avian101 Lifer List of Birds
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Text excerpts © Wikipedia – Photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101
Posted by H.J. for avian101
Categories: Birds Photography, White-breasted Nuthatch
Tags: birds, nature, photography, photos of birds, White-breasted Nuthatch
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We are lucky to have these beauties where I live too. Such a joy, I’m glad he brightened your day, HJ. 🙂
By Jet Eliot on January 21, 2015 at 9:30 am
Thank you very much Jet! 🙂
By avian101 on January 21, 2015 at 10:23 am
It’s one of my favorite birds. Thanks for the information on it.
By neihtn2012 on January 21, 2015 at 9:42 am
Thank you N.! 🙂
By avian101 on January 21, 2015 at 10:24 am
No wonder your day was made, such a beautiful bird.
By Susan on January 21, 2015 at 12:11 pm
Thanks Susan, you’re right! 🙂
By avian101 on January 21, 2015 at 12:31 pm
You can’t help but smile when you see one of these guys! 🙂
By kathydoremus on January 21, 2015 at 1:50 pm
Thanks for sharing Kathy! 🙂
By avian101 on January 21, 2015 at 2:05 pm
Adorable – and so brave!
By jan on January 21, 2015 at 2:18 pm
Thank you Jan! 🙂
By avian101 on January 21, 2015 at 2:28 pm
A charming visitor.
By tootlepedal on January 21, 2015 at 4:04 pm
Yes! Thanks Tom! 🙂
By avian101 on January 21, 2015 at 4:14 pm
What a delightful bird! I would have been thrilled to have a visit from it as well. Lovely photos. 🙂
By Jane on January 21, 2015 at 8:37 pm
Thanks Jane for sharing! 🙂
By avian101 on January 21, 2015 at 11:01 pm
It’s always so exciting to have a new type of bird visit your garden, no matter how common they are elsewhere. You are obviously doing the right thing to attract all sorts of birds, HJ.
By clarepooley33 on January 22, 2015 at 2:52 am
Thanks for your nice words Clare! 🙂
By avian101 on January 22, 2015 at 9:12 am
My pleasure!
By clarepooley33 on January 22, 2015 at 10:10 am
Love these little “guys”, they are always so cheerful and charming!
By 45DegreesNorth on January 22, 2015 at 4:38 pm
They are! Thanks Amy! 🙂
By avian101 on January 22, 2015 at 4:43 pm
Lucky you, HJ!! This is a really sweet bird!! Thanks for sharing these lovely photographs of your birds 🐤🐥
By andromeda65 on January 25, 2015 at 7:18 am
Thanks a lot A.! 🙂
By avian101 on January 25, 2015 at 11:03 am