Creature Feature – A Tale of Two Nuthatches

By now, most of our feathered friends have flown the coop for warmer climates. Not all birds migrate, however – some, like many of us, are year-round residents, including certain species of nuthatches. Birds in the nuthatch family are small, stout, tree-climbers with strong bills and feet, and square-cut, stubby tails. They are supremely adapted for arboreal lives. Indeed, one reliable characteristic of nuthatches is that they habitually scurry down trees headfirst. 

White-breasted nuthatches are familiar to most backyard bird enthusiasts. They are an attractive blue-gray above and white below, with buffy flanks, and dark eyes set in an all-white face (see photo). They are rather bold little birds and can be somewhat tolerant of people. I’ve often observed sassy white-breasted nuthatches defending bird feeders from chipmunks and other birds by confronting them with flared wings to make themselves look bigger. 

In contrast, red-breasted nuthatches typically migrate southward from the northernmost reaches of their range. They may also exhibit ‘irruptive’ migratory behavior (moving further south in larger numbers than usual when winter food sources are scant). Red-breasted nuthatches are gray above with rusty underparts and have a sharply defined black eye stripe and white eyebrow. They are smaller and shyer than their white-breasted cousins.

Both white- and red-breasted nuthatches utter a repetitive nasally “yank-yank” song. Look and listen for them as they fly in mixed winter flocks with other year-round birds such as black-capped chickadees and tufted titmice. You can attract them to your feeders with black sunflower seeds and suet.

Article & photo by Margie Manthey