White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis Scientific name definitions

This species account is dedicated in honor of Robert F. Schumann, member of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Administrative Board.

The White-breasted Nuthatch is a small, common resident of deciduous forests in North America. Like other nuthatches, this species characteristically walks head downward on large branches and trunks, probing crevices in bark for its seed and insect prey. It also uses such crevices to hold fast large seeds and nuts, which this bird then hacks open with its bill. The name “nuthatch” is presumably derived from this behavior.

About 20 g in mass, this nuthatch generally lives in pairs in permanent territories throughout the year and regularly visits feeders during fall and winter, a time of year when pairs hoard food in large amounts, dispersing it throughout their territory and using each site to cache only one item. In some years, portions of western and northern populations do show migratory/irruptive movements, although it is not clear who these wandering individuals are or if they survive to breed near their natal areas or elsewhere.

Despite this species' wide distribution and year-round presence in North America, its biology is not well known. This lack of information for such a common species stems, in part, because these nuthatches prefer to breed in natural holes in large, old trees, so their nests are often difficult to examine. Nevertheless, enough is known about the White-breasted Nuthatch to reveal its close resemblance to the Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) in life history and ecology, more so than to any other North American nuthatch.

Considerably more is known about this species' non-breeding biology than about its breeding attributes. Information on wintering birds includes nutritional condition (Grubb and Cimprich 1990 Grubb, Jr., T. C. and D. A. Cimprich. (1990). Supplemental food improves the nutritional condition of wintering birds: evidence from ptilochronology. Ornis Scandinavica 21:277-281. Close , Dolby and Grubb 1998 Dolby, A. S. and T. C. Grubb. (1998). Benefits to satellite members in mixed-species foraging groups: an experimental analysis. Animal Behaviour 56:501-509. Close , Dolby and Grubb 1999a Dolby, A. S. and Jr. Grubb, T. C. (1999a). Effects of winter weather on horizontal vertical use of isolated forest fragments by bark-foraging birds. Condor 101 (2):408-412. Close , Doherty and Grubb 2003 Doherty, P. F. and T. C. Grubb. (2003). Relationship of nutritional condition of permanent-resident woodland birds with woodlot area, supplemental food, and snow cover. Auk 120 (2):331-336. Close ), foraging (Grubb 1982b Grubb, T. C. Jr. (1982b). On sex-specific foraging behavior in the White-breasted Nuthatch. Journal of Field Ornithology 53:305-314. Close , Elliott 2005b Elliott, J. T. (2005b). Territorial defense and mate attraction in isolated and social White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis): tests of dynamic programming models. PhD, Ohio State University, Columbus. Close ), caching (Petit et al. 1989 Petit, D. R., L. J. Petit and K. E. Petit. (1989). Winter caching ecology of deciduous woodland birds and adaptations for protection of stored food. Condor 91:766-776. Close , Woodrey 1990 Woodrey, M. S. (1990). Economics of caching versus immediate consumption by White-breasted Nuthatches: the effect of handling time. Condor 92:621-624. Close , Woodrey 1991 Woodrey, M. S. (1991). Caching behavior in free-ranging White-breasted Nuthatches: the effects of social dominance. Ornis Scandinavica 22:160-166. Close ), behavior in mixed-species flocks (Berner and Grubb 1985 Berner, T. O. and Jr. Grubb, T. C. (1985). An experimental analysis of mixed-species flocking in birds of deciduous woodland. Ecology 66 (4):1229-1236. Close , Dolby and Grubb 1999b Dolby, A. S. and T. C. Grubb. (1999b). Functional roles in mixed-species foraging flocks: A field manipulation. Auk 116 (2):557-559. Close ), and territorial behavior and mate attraction (Elliott 2005b Elliott, J. T. (2005b). Territorial defense and mate attraction in isolated and social White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis): tests of dynamic programming models. PhD, Ohio State University, Columbus. Close ). Key studies of breeding behavior are Kilham (Kilham 1968b Kilham, L. (1968b). Reproductive behavior of White-breasted Nuthatches, Pt. I: distraction display, bill-sweeping, and nest hole defense. Auk 85:477-492. Close , Kilham 1972b Kilham, L. (1972b). Reproductive behavior of White-breasted Nuthatches: II. Courtship. Auk 89:115-129. Close ) and Ghalambor and Martin (Ghalambor and Martin 2000 Ghalambor, C. K. and T. E. Martin. (2000). Parental investment decisions in two species of nuthatch vary with stage-specific predation risk and reproductive effort. Animal Behaviour 60:263-267. Close ).