Meet the Nuthatch

Nuthatch: Sitta europea

nuthatch in typical pose on tree

 The original name of this colourful bird was 'nut-hack', named so from its habit of wedging a nut in a crevice in a tree so it could hack it open with its beak.  I hope you enjoy these pictures and information about these lovely birds.

Facts about The Nuthatch

It eats nuts seed and any insects it finds in bark. It is a very agile bird that creeps head first up AND down tree trunks, unlike tree creepers. 

It will feed on the ground, at feeders and at bird tables and is often seen in gardens mixing with tits though it is definitely higher in the pecking order and will scare away other birds.  

They are known to take food from bird tables and store it elsewhere for later, usually within quite a small territory of where they nest. Might explain those unexpected plants growing in odd places in your garden.

It is about 5 and half inches in length, weighs about 6 ounces and has a wingspan of around 7 inches.

Both sexes are similar. They are plump birds with short, square tails of black and white feathers. It is a pretty soft blue-grey upper parts with orange flanks and buff underparts. It has a strong pointed bill and a black eye-stripe that looks like a mask.

nuthatch feeding on seeds

They can be quite difficult to photograph as they are so fast. I was lucky with this one at Leighton Moss because someone had left seeds on a tree root and it kept coming back to the same spot.

Nuthatches at Upton

In 2014 I was really lucky to find a pair of breeding nuthatches nesting in a box in my friends garden. Plenty of opportunity to watch this pair. I'd read in books about them plastering mud at the entrance to their nesting holes in trees so it was fascinating to see this pair adding mud to the nesting box.

They can lay up to 11 eggs. The female generally incubates the eggs which will hatch in around 14 days. They will fledge in around 20 days after being fed by both parents. When the parents feel the chicks should be leaving the nest they entice them out with food.

This pair produced two chicks we could watch being fed though not photographed - they are very protective and easily spooked away from the nest to perch in high branches until the camera-woman takes herself off. My friends saw at least one of the chicks fledge. 

Photo Gallery Nuthatches

nuthatch on garden feeder - look at how those claws curl round to perch

I always associate nutatches with this pose - 

contemplating which is best - nuthatch on garden feeder

nuthatch perched on bird feeder - look at those claws!

'I'll take this one." nuthatch on garden feeder

typcial nuthatch pose - 

nuthatch on garden feeder

nuthatch with need

nuthatch on garden feeder - 'poking around'

nuthatch posing on branch

nuthatch feeding " all day buffet"

nuthatch on garden feeder