Weekend Birding: Red-breasted Nuthatch
The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a small, energetic bird that can be found in the US and Canada. Their preferred habitats are the northern woods and mountains. They are migratory but will often spend winters in their breeding range.
If food is in short supply, they will begin to migrate south. This is called irruptive migration because their movements are in response to food availability, habitat, or weather. They will travel only as far as they need to go. A true migrant will make the same predictive journey each year.
I have a lot of the more common White-breasted Nuthatches in my backyard, but rarely see the Red-breasted Nuthatch. Last month they began appearing at my peanut and sunflower seed feeders. To say I was excited was a bit of an understatement.
A little research on eBird told me that this year was a poor summer for cone crops in the northern forests and the Red-breasted Nuthatches began migrating south as early as August. Bird watchers across the US are reporting sightings.
The nuthatches that are now in my yard are busy taking peanuts from the feeder and stashing them in several nearby pine trees. I think they’ll be staying with me for the winter.
My regular group of White-breasted Nuthatches don’t seem to mind them and they have been peacefully sharing the feeder. The red-breasted is a little smaller and can be readily identified by their bold, black eye stripe. They are also much more active, constantly in motion and rarely pausing or staying still.
They are friendly little birds and let me get quite close to them but it still took me a few days to get a shot that wasn’t blurry. In the photo above, red and white even posed for a shot together!
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.
Under My Apple Tree 
That first photo of the bird with the nut in his beak is wonderful. I’ve had a break for a couple of weeks, but my Snapshot is at http://goo.gl/CQuKI
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I always learn so much about birds from your posts. Interesting stuff about the red-breasted nuthatches. Hope you get to see them all winter. Here’s Mine
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Smart birds to follow the food! I love all the pics but the last one with both birds feeding at the same time is wonderful.
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I got lucky with that one. I was focusing on the red-breasted when the white-breasted just showed up.
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I didn’t know there was a white-breasted and red-breasted kind of nut hatch. I’ll have to check my feeder to see which kind it is that we get. I think they’re white but I’ve never looked closely enough.
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They are smaller and have the black eyestripe, but they act the same with the walking down instead of up.
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What a lovely little bird! And how great to both of them together. It will be lovely to see them around for the winter.
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Looks like some interesting food in those feeders. curious what the mixture is and which type of birds enjoy it the most? great shots as always.
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It’s justpeanuts. The brand is called ‘Nature’s Own Gold Peanuts’ and the birds just love it. I have the little perch in there so non-clinging birds can still eat them. It attracts all kinds of woodpeckers, nuthatches, bluejays, and chickadees, plus house sparrows and grackles. I’m told tufted-titmice will also eat nuts although I never get them in my yard.
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Great shots! You have such an awesome yard for birds, with your houses and feeders. They all must have a “list” in their minds of places to go.
Here’s MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST
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I’m pretty sure my yard is one of the early stops! At 7am today I already had goldfinches, house finches, a blue jay, cardinals and woodpeckers eating breakfast.
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I love learning a little bit about the natural behaviors of the animal world…they are truly programmed for survival in the most interesting and sometimes astounding ways 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
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You must have an amazing camera these shots are excellent! It looks like the birds really like your feeders.
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The camera is a four year old Canon Rebel with a moderately priced zoom lens. The shots came out good because I was able to get fairly close the birds.
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Great shot! Love the one of the two nuthatches together. Lucky you to have them all winter. Our area has also had lots of sightings. Unfortunately, my yard only had one drop by for just a few hours. From what I saw, at least. We have lots of suet and peanuts out, so maybe we’ll get another one. I can dream, eh? 😉
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If some of them find your food they might stay! In the past I’ve just had them drop by for the day. This is the first time… ever… that they have stuck around. There was one outside this morning busy caching seeds and peanuts, so I am hopeful they will stay.
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I am always in awe of your birding photos. My sister would love them. She has bird feeders in her yard. I don’t seem to be able to get close to the birds in my yard. Here is my Snapshot Saturday post for today
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What cute little birds these are! My mom has had nuthatches at her place in the past. She loves to watch them and the other birds that come to her feeders.
Here’s my Snapshot.
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so cute, even more than its most common cousin. I love nuthatches and their funny call, it always makes me laugh
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It’s that time of year …! Up go the feeders and back come the foragers! Happy Fall!
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Those are all gorgeous shots! Very cool that they might be staying for the winter!
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What lovely photos. It is so interesting to see wildlife from different parts of the world.
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Ordinary Words….Your shots and info are wonderful…keep ’em coming♫♪
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These are incredible photos and I learned a few things today about Nuthatches! 🙂
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These are wonderful photos! I love them. We have the RBN in our areas too, but I could never identify them. They look so much like the Black-capped Chickadee. It’s good that you can see them so up close. Just wonder what kinds of food you put in the feeder for them.
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They’re easy to spot because they walk upside down and the chickadees usually perch upright. Those are just shelled peanuts in the feeder. I buy them in bulk at the feed store or big box hardware store. No need to buy premium people peanuts.
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I love your little birds, and always so much information. I don’t know anything about your birds so I’m so glad you tell me things. Thanks.
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