White-breasted Nuthatch: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Little Birds of the Americas · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. Nuthatches can walk down tree trunks head first and hang upside down under branches. It hops with strong feet and never leans on its tail.
2. It jams acorns and hickory nuts into cracks in the bark, then cracks them with blows of its sturdy beak. Extra seeds get hidden for later.
3. As it leaves its nest, it rubs fur or bits of plant around the doorway. This makes the nest harder for predators to sniff out.
4. While the female sits on the eggs, the male brings her food. Both parents feed the chicks, even for a while after they leave the nest.
5. It usually sleeps alone in a tree hole. In very cold weather, though, up to 29 nuthatches have been found huddled together.

The quiz

1. Which trick can nuthatches do on a tree trunk?

• Prop themselves up on their tail
• Walk down head first (correct)
• Glide from tree to tree
• Peel off whole strips of bark

Nuthatches can descend trunks head first and hang upside down.

2. How does it open a big nut such as an acorn?

• It drops it on rocks
• It soaks it in water
• It waits for squirrels to crack it
• It wedges it in bark and hammers it (correct)

It places nuts in crevices and hammers them open with its beak.

3. Why does it wipe the entrance of its nest hole?

• To make it hard for predators to smell (correct)
• To make the hole bigger
• To dry the rain off
• To attract a mate

Wiping with fur or plants makes the nest harder to find by smell.

4. What does the male do while the female sits on the eggs?

• He builds a second nest
• He leaves for the winter
• He brings her food (correct)
• He takes over half the sitting

The male feeds the female while she incubates.

5. In very cold weather, how many nuthatches have been found roosting together?

• 2 at most
• Up to 29 (correct)
• Never more than 5
• Always alone

Up to 29 birds have been recorded roosting together in the cold.

More about the White-breasted Nuthatch

Same week

All lessons

Nature documentaries