The Red-breasted Nuthatch is a small, rusty-bellied nuthatch of coniferous forests with a bold black eye stripe and cap. It applies sticky conifer resin around its nest cavity entrance — a behavior thought to deter predators and competitors. In years when cone crops fail in the boreal zone, it undertakes dramatic southward irruptions, flooding US feeders and lowland forests.
Best time to see a Red-breasted Nuthatch
The best time to see a Red-breasted Nuthatch is July–January, when about 64% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 29,165 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Red-breasted Nuthatch? What bird is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Red-breasted Nuthatch sightings near you
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