The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

A full-time resident of our pine forests, the Red-breasted Nuthatch, [Sitta canadensis], can be found climbing up and down tree bark using their enlarged toe and short tail, gathering conifer seeds and various insects, including beetles, worms, ants, earwigs, and spiders. They are common visitors to black oil sunflower feeders and they will often cache foods between the bark of trees for later use.

The female Nuthatch will most often choose the nest and prefers soft wood trees, especially the aspen. Excavation of the nest can take up to 18 days, and the entry hole and inside cavity are coated with conifer resin to possibly resist predators. Nesting material consists of pine needles, grass, and bark strips and then it’s lined with feathers, fur, and fine grasses.

Incubation of two to eight creamy-brown speckled eggs takes 12-13 days, and the nestlings are fed within the nest for 18-21 days.

Their yank-yank calls echo throughout the forest and they will often travel with Chicadees and woodpeckers in a group known as a foraging guild, collecting insects amongst the trees. A collection of Red-breasted Nuthatches are called a “jar” of Nuthatches.

For more Red-breasted Nuthatch images visit http://abirdsingsbecauseithasasong.com/recent-journeys/.