Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

Tiny, tin-horn voice — sounds like a kazoo wedged in a conifer. Daubs nest holes with sap to keep ants out.

Population: Population size not precisely quantified (described by BirdLife/IUCN as "extremely large"), but confirmed increasing trend (~137% increase over the last 40 years in North America per Partners in Flight/BirdLife trend data)
Habitat: Coniferous and mixed conifer forests, especially spruce, fir, and pine; also subalpine forests, and in migration/irruption years a broader range of wooded habitats including parks and gardens
Fun fact: Red-breasted Nuthatches apply sticky conifer resin around their nest cavity entrance — sometimes using a piece of bark as an applicator tool — likely to deter predators and competitors from entering.
Range: Breeds across boreal Canada and Alaska, the northeastern United States, and western U.S. mountain ranges; winters more widely across the U.S. and Mexico, with irregular irruptions south to the Gulf Coast; rare vagrant to Iceland and the United Kingdom
Diet: Insects and spiders (especially in breeding season, gleaned from bark crevices; occasionally caught in flight), shifting to conifer seeds in fall/winter; readily takes sunflower seeds, suet, and peanut butter at feeders
Size: 0.11 m
Wingspan: 0.19 m
Lifespan: 7 years

More Songbirds