Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatches are Common year round.

Habitat

Red-breasted Nuthatches typically prefer mature, wet, coniferous forests with closed canopies, especially those of spruce or fir. They can also be found in more open forests and patches of smaller trees.

Behavior

Like other nuthatches, Red-breasted Nuthatches use their strong legs and claws to walk up, down, and sideways on tree trunks, probing in the bark crevices for food. They readily come to seed and suet feeders and will cache food in crevices to return to later. Pishing and imitated Pygmy-Owl hooting, two typical attraction calls of birders, are very successful in bringing out Red-breasted Nuthatches. They are often the first species to respond, and will boldly come quite close to human observers.