White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis
Nuthatch family (Sittidae)

About the same size as the Tufted Titmouse, 5” long. Dark crown and nape, white face, gray back, short tail. Distinctive habit of feeding – creeps headfirst down tree trunks.

Habitat:
Deciduous forest.

Nesting:
Nests in natural cavities in living trees. Also uses old woodpecker holes. Rarely excavates its own cavity. Eggs are white with dark marks. Clutch size – 6 eggs.

Voice:

Call is a series of low nasal “ank ank” notes.

Name Origin:

Sitta, sitte, Greek for “nuthatch”; carolinensis, for “of Carolina”, although it breeds throughout the United States.  “Nuthatch”, from “hack”, for bird’s tendency to wedge a large nut into a crevice and hack it into small pieces.

In the Nature Park:
Year-round resident. During winter, White-breasted Nuthatches occur in mixed-species foraging flocks with Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, and Downy Woodpeckers.

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