Scientific Name:   Sitta canadensis

Length:   4.3 in (11 cm)

Weight:   0.3-0.5 oz (8-13 g)

Wingspan:   7.1-7.9 in (18-20 cm)

Nest:   They nest in a cavity in rotten stub or snag, usually 5-40' above ground, rarely much higher. Rarely use old woodpecker holes or birdhouses. Sticky pitch is smeared around entrance to nest hole; this may prevent other creatures from entering. The cavity is made of soft grass, moss, bark fibers, feathers.

Eggs:   5-6, sometimes 4-7. White, spotted with reddish-brown. Female incubates, male brings food to female on and off nest. Incubation period about 12 days.

Feeding Behavior:   Like all nuthatches, the red-breasted nuthatch is an acrobatic species, crawls up and down tree trunks and branches to look for food. The diet changes depending on the season. In the summer, it eats mostly insects, occasionally even flycatching, while in the winter, it switches to conifer seeds. At feeders, it will take sunflower seeds, peanut butter, and suet.

Young:   Both parents feed nestlings; young leave nest about 2-3 weeks after hatching.

Range:   Though it is primarily a full-time resident of northern forests, the red-breasted nuthatch regularly migrates to an area suddenly and in large numbers, with both the number migrating and the wintering locations varying from year to year. They sometimes reach northern Mexico. In years with good food supply, may remain all winter on nesting territory.

Brief Description:   The red-breasted nuthatch is a small perching bird, its back and uppertail are bluish, and its underparts are rust-colored. It has a black cap and eye line and a white eyebrow. Sexes are similarly plumaged, though females and youngsters have duller heads and paler underparts. They have very short tails and almost no neck; the body is plump or barrel-chested, and the short wings are very broad.