WhiteBreasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis Amanda Edwards

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White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)Amand
a Edwards

• Physical Description
• Habitat Range and Description
• Feeding Habits
• Reproduction
• Behavior
• Ethogram

• White-Breasted Nuthatch
• Photo from www.fws.gov

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Physical Description

• While the largest nuthatch, the
  White-breasted is a small bird, measuring only 6
  inches long on average. They have short tails
  and large heads characterized by an upturned and
  narrow bill. 3 This species has a snowy white
  breast, cheeks, and throat which contrasts the
  black crown on its head. Feathers on the back
  are bluish-gray. Tail feathers are a mixture of
  bluish-gray, white, and black. 1 Feathers on the
  underside of tail may be chestnut-colored. 4
• Photo from http//animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/s
  ite/accounts/information/Sitta_carolinensis.html
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Habitat Range and Description

• The White-breasted Nuthatch is a year-round
  resident of East Tennessee. The most widespread
  of the nuthatches, its range spans the United
  States and Southern Canada. 2 They are
  associated with deciduous forests, woodlots,
  groves, river woods, shade trees. This species
  has also been known to visit bird feeders. 2
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Feeding Habits

• White-breasted Nuthatches feed primarily on
  insects in the summer and fall, which they probe
  from the tree with their beak. Their diet is
  supplemented with seeds and nuts during the
  winter and spring. Nuthatches get their name
  from the unique way they crack open these seeds
  by wedging them into crevices in trees and
  hammering them open with their powerful beaks. 4
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Reproduction

• White-breasted nuthatches breed in monogamous
  pairs. Nests are built by the female in tree
  cavities. She will lay 5-10 eggs and be fed by
  the male as she incubates the eggs for
• 12-14 days. 1 Both parents care for the
  hatchlings for two weeks. An interesting behavior
  associated with nesting in this bird is its
  method of masking the scent of its nest to avoid
  predation. It does this by rubbing fur or
  insects around the opening of its nest. 4
• Photo from www.wepwawep.com
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Behavior

• White-breasted Nuthatches are characterized by
  their climbing behavior up and down the trunk of
  trees in search of insects. 3 Mated pairs
  protect their territory but may leave in the
  winter when resources become scarce. During the
  winter this species is known to feed with flocks
  of chickadees and titmice hopping on the ground.
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• The nuthatches song is described as a rapid
  series of low monotone notes hey, hey, hey, hey,
  hey or yank, yank, yank 2
• Click here to listen.
• Song from http//www.math.sunysb.edu/tony/birds/t
  itmice.html
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References

• 1http//faculty.maryvillecollege.edu/crain/ornitho
  logy/Megan/White-breasted20Nuthatch.htm
• 2Peterson, R. T.   Peterson, V. M. (2002). 
  Birds of Eastern and Central North America(5th
  ed.). New York Houghton Mifflin Company. 
• 3http//www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-breaste
  d_Nuthatch/id
• 4http//animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accoun
  ts/information/Sitta_carolinensis.html
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