Comments on: Four Nuthatches, Four Ways to Make It Through a Cold Winter

By: Conrad Mish

Conrad Mish — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 22:18:13 +0000

I saw many White Breasted Nuthatches this winter in Western Massachusetts. I spend a lot of time filling my bird feeders all year long. I am glad to know they cache their food. I would hate for them to starve after I have lured them to my feeders. By the way, even though the squirrels eat the food I put out I am still feeding the birds indirectly. I saw a Turkey Vulture munching out on a squirrel who had a accident with a motor vehicle.

By: Cheryl

Cheryl — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 04:11:04 +0000

Hello from Austin, Texas! I have had a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches around since December. Unlike last winter when they spent a lot of time at my feeders, this year I’ve just seen them working nearby trees. Busy, adorable birds!

By: Noreen Beer

Noreen Beer — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 18:16:21 +0000

We enjoy watching the Red-Breasted Nuthatch at our seed and suet feeders in 100 Mile House, B.C. There are 4 birds, they mix well with the Chickadees, Pileated, Downey and Hairy Woodpeckers, and the Brown Creeper. They are here year-round and it is a delight to watch their comings and goings.

By: Bob H

Bob H — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 17:59:27 +0000

Nice article! BUT … That range map is about as misleading as it could be. Your article is about winter, and the map seems to indicate only the ranges where the species can be found year-round. The range shown for Red-breasted, for example, is nowhere near representative of where they are in winter, with maybe half of its winter range not showing. If you only could show one map, it should have been a winter range map; given the subject of the article, I think that no map at all would have been better than this one.

By: victoria

victoria — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 15:43:29 +0000

In reply to Lisa. Thanks for writing Lisa. Nuthatches may enlarge existing holes for nesting (e.g., ones made by woodpeckers), but they usually don't excavate cavities on their own. However, if your stucco is soft for them, it could be a possibility. If they are pecking holes looking for food, then it probably means you have some insects in there that they are trying to get to. Take a look at our blog post Can Woodpecker Deterrents Safeguard My House? for more information.

By: Mary Rose Kent

Mary Rose Kent — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 14:35:58 +0000

I live in San Francisco, which has pygmy nuthatches seemingly everywhere (although not on my street, sad to say). A few years ago I put up a suet feeder on a tree out front, as I can’t see the backyard from my apartment, and nothing happened. No chickadees, no bushtits, no nuthatches. I’m guessing that because it generally doesn’t get all that cold here, they just forage all year round rather than eat from the suet feeder.

By: victoria

victoria — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:37:32 +0000

In reply to Michael Rahman.

Thanks for your comment. That’s great that you get to enjoy two species of nuthatches near your home. If you’d like to share your pictures with us, visit our Birdshare flickr group: https://www.flickr.com/groups/birdshare/. Thanks so much!

By: Michael Rahman

Michael Rahman — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 11:17:57 +0000

In reply to Maggie. I believe I have a white Brested Nuthatch visiting my Bird Feeder. I also have brown headed Nuthatch nesting in a Tree Cavity. I have pictures but this site does not allow me to paste views.

By: Carol Neuman

Carol Neuman — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 23:30:13 +0000

We have been feeding birds year round in Pickering ON. We have both red and white breasted nuthatches. The red breasted are our favorites because they come to take shelled peanuts from our hands! When they are ready to take a peanut they walk upside down at the patio window, or hang upside down at the patio door. They talk to us when they come close. We have also offered peanut butter as suet during this cold winter. The nuthatches make the winter that much finer.

By: Jeanne Dueker

Jeanne Dueker — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 19:32:42 +0000

We have lived in the pines east of Chadron, NE for 37 years and always have red-breasted, white-breasted, and pygmy nuthatches year around. The pygmy’s are my favorite, we usually have 6-8. They feed on lard I put in a furrow cut in a log and black oil sunflower seeds.