Four Nuthatches in North America
Nuthatches are small, stocky songbirds with short tails, strong bills, and a habit of climbing down tree trunks head first. Four species occur in North America:
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Brown-headed Nuthatch
- Pygmy Nuthatch
Worldwide the nuthatch family (Sittidae) has a few dozen species. Most backyard birders in North America will encounter only one or two of these four, depending on location.
White-breasted Nuthatch
The White-breasted Nuthatch is the largest of the four, at roughly 5 to 6 inches long. It has a blue-gray back, a white face and underparts, and rusty or chestnut patches under the tail. Males have a glossy black cap; females have a gray or duller cap. It is found across much of the continent in deciduous and mixed woods, as well as in yards with mature trees. It is a frequent visitor to feeders and often makes a nasal, repeated “yank-yank” call.
Red-breasted Nuthatch
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is smaller, with rusty-orange underparts, a blue-gray back, a bold black eyeline, and a white eyebrow stripe. It prefers conifer forests across Canada, the northern U.S., the Northeast, and western mountains. Some years, it moves south in larger numbers when conifer seed crops are poor, a pattern known as an irruption. It is also known for smearing sticky tree resin around the entrance to its nest cavity.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
The Brown-headed Nuthatch is a small, noisy bird of southeastern pine forests, with a brown cap, a pale spot on the back of the neck, and a gray back. It lives in a limited range in the southeastern U.S. and is often seen in small groups. It has been noted for using bark pieces as tools to pry up flakes of bark when searching for food.
Pygmy Nuthatch
The Pygmy Nuthatch is the smallest, found in western pine forests, especially ponderosa pine. It has a gray-brown cap, a dark eyeline, and a pale spot on the nape. It is highly social, and groups may roost together in tree cavities in cold weather.
How to Tell Them Apart
- Range first. In the Southeast, think Brown-headed. In the West’s pine forests, consider Pygmy. In the North and mountains, Red-breasted. White-breasted covers much of the rest.
- Underparts. White means White-breasted; rusty means Red-breasted; pale gray-buff suggests Brown-headed or Pygmy.
- Head. A bold black eyeline and white eyebrow suggest Red-breasted. A brown cap suggests Brown-headed. A gray-brown cap and dark eyeline suggest Pygmy.
- Size. White-breasted is clearly larger than the other three.
Brown-headed and Pygmy Nuthatches look somewhat alike, but their ranges rarely overlap.
Male and Female Nuthatches
Males and females look similar, but there are small differences in some species. In White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, males typically have a blacker cap, while females have a grayer or bluer cap. Female Red-breasted Nuthatches also tend to have paler orange underparts. In Brown-headed and Pygmy Nuthatches, the sexes are very hard to tell apart in the field.
Why Nuthatches Walk Down Trees
Nuthatches can move headfirst down trunks because of their strong feet and claws. Climbing down lets them spot insects and spiders that birds climbing upward can miss. They also wedge nuts and seeds into bark crevices and hack them open, which is the likely origin of the name “nuthatch.”
Nuthatches are not woodpeckers. They are a separate family, and unlike woodpeckers, they do not use their tails as props when climbing.
Attracting and Befriending Nuthatches
Nuthatches are typically bold, curious feeder birds. To bring them in:
- Offer black oil sunflower seed, peanuts, and suet; the suet and peanut feeders recommended for woodpeckers work well for nuthatches too.
- Place feeders near mature trees, especially conifers for Red-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatches.
- Keep dead trees or snags standing when it is safe, since nuthatches nest in cavities, and offer a nest box with the right hole size if the species in your area uses them.
- Be patient. Birds that learn a routine can become used to someone filling feeders at the same time each day, but wild birds should not be hand-fed in a way that harms them.
Nuthatches often grab a seed and fly off to hide it in bark, so you will see quick visits rather than long stays.
FAQ
How do you befriend a nuthatch?
Offer reliable food, such as sunflower seeds, peanuts, or suet, in the same spot at the same time each day, and stay quiet and still while you refill feeders. Over time, they often become less wary of you.
Are nuthatches in the woodpecker family?
No. Nuthatches belong to their own family (Sittidae) and are not woodpeckers, although both groups spend time on tree trunks.
What is the difference between a male and female nuthatch?
In White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, males usually have a darker, blacker cap and females a grayer one. In other species the sexes are very similar.
How many types of nuthatches are there in North America?
Four: White-breasted, Red-breasted, Brown-headed, and Pygmy.