Red-breasted nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
The red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) is a small songbird.
About the Red-breasted nuthatch
The red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) is a small songbird. The adult has blue-grey upperparts with cinnamon underparts, a white throat and face with a black stripe through the eyes, a straight grey bill and a black crown. Its call, which has been likened to a tin trumpet, is high-pitched and nasal. It breeds in coniferous forests across Canada, Alaska and the northeastern and western United States. Though often a permanent resident, it regularly irrupts further south if its food supply fails. There are records of vagrants occurring as far south as the Gulf Coast and northern Mexico. It forages on the trunks and large branches of trees, often descending head first, sometimes catching insects in flight. It eats mainly insects and seeds, especially from conifers. It excavates its nest
Fun Facts About Red-breasted nuthatch
- The red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) is a small songbird.
- It forages on the trunks and large branches of trees, often descending head first, sometimes catching insects in flight.
- It excavates its nest in dead wood, often close to the ground, smearing the entrance with pitch.
- It eats mainly insects and seeds, especially from conifers.
- It breeds in coniferous forests across Canada, Alaska and the northeastern and western United States.
Conservation Status
The Red-breasted nuthatch is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This species is currently stable and not at significant risk of population decline.
Taxonomy & Classification
| Order | passerines |
| Family | Sittidae |
| Genus | Sitta |
| Species | Sitta canadensis |
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