September 2025

Have you ever seen a bird climb down a tree headfirst? This fall, watch for these adorable visitors, our nuthatch neighbors! We have two species of nuthatches regularly seen in NWA, but the White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinesis) is the only one found year-round. These 5-6” birds have a pale white belly and face, contrasted by the darker wings and crown stripe. Look for a bit of rusty color on the lower belly by the feet, and you can pat yourself on the back if you notice that the male’s head stripe is darker than the female’s. Check out the awesome backwards-facing toe (”hallux”) that allows them to walk head-first down trees, and the slightly upturned beak used to shove seeds under the bark of trees for later consumption, a behavior known as caching!

These birds are not lazy nesters, either. The male will start courting the female during late winter, raising his head, drooping his wings, swaying, and bowing, trying to entice her to raise their family together. He also feeds her, proof that he is a good provider. If he succeeds, that nesting pair will remain in their territory all year, perhaps even for life. They nest in tree cavities, either naturally-formed or dug out by woodpeckers. The female builds the nest, a cup of bark, grass, twigs, and fur. To repel predators, they take stinky beetles and rub them around the entry. They lay five to nine eggs per clutch, rarely ten. After this twelve-to-fourteen-day process, the eggs hatch and both parents tend to the nest until the young fledge, a process that takes about a month. The oldest recorded White-Breasted Nuthatch lived to be at least nine years, ten months.  

In the winter, they join other birds like chickadees, woodpeckers, and titmice to form mixed flocks known as “guilds.” It provides safety in numbers, and more eyes to look for food. Nuthatches eat a variety of seeds, nuts, and insects. To bring more of them to visit your yard, offer suet, peanuts, and sunflower (especially out-of-the-shell, which was selected 25% more often than in-the-shell sunflower in a study). If you have mature trees, that increases your chances of seeing them. Finally, don’t forget the water! If you would like to see more White-Breasted Nuthatches at the Botanical Garden’s bird-feeding station, make sure to donate to the “Feed a Bird” fund! To find out more about nuthatches and other birds, or to pick out your new favorite feeder, visit Wild Birds Unlimited at 745 E Joyce Blvd in Fayetteville or 2011 Promenade Blvd in Rogers! Enjoy the Birds!