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Brown-headed Nuthatch

Sitta pusillaOrder: PASSERIFORMESFamily: Nuthatches (Sittidae)

Breeding Location:

Forests



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Cooperative



Breeding Population:

Fairly common



Egg Color:

White with red brown speckles



Number of Eggs:

3 - 9



Incubation Days:

14



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Soft bark shreds, wood chips, grasses, wool, hair, feathers.



Migration:

Nonmigratory



Splitbar

Overview

Brown-headed Nuthatch: Medium nuthatch, gray upperparts, brown cap, small, white nape patch, dark eye-line, white face, buff underparts. Wings and tail are gray. Legs and feet are black. Weak fluttering flight of short duration, alternates rapid wing beats with wings drawn to sides.

Range and Habitat

Brown-headed Nuthatch: Resident in much of the southeastern U.S. Preferred habitats include coniferous and mixed forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Brown-headed Nuthatch: Three to nine white eggs with red brown speckles are laid in a cavity nest made of soft bark shreds, wood chips, grass, wool, hair, and feathers, and built from 2 to 12 feet above the ground in a dead or live tree, bird box, stump, or old post. Female incubates eggs for about 14 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Brown-headed Nuthatch: Eats pine seeds, insects, and spiders. Forages over, around, and up and down branches, small twigs, and trunks, sometimes hanging upside down; caches seeds.

Readily Eats

Nut Meats, Sunflower Seed, Sunflower Seeds (hulled)

Vocalization

Brown-headed Nuthatch: Song is "pri-u, de-u, de-u", like a squeaky toy. Call is a squeaky "bit-bit-bit" or "dee-dee-dee."

Similar Species

Brown-headed Nuthatch: White-breasted Nuthatch is larger and has black cap. Red-breasted Nuthatch has black cap and eyestripe and rust-brown underparts.

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Family Nuthatch (Sittidae)_blue
Species Sitta pusilla
Length4 - 5 Inches
Wingspan8.5 Inches

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Brown-headed Nuthatch: Medium nuthatch, gray upperparts, brown cap, small, white nape patch, dark eye-line, white face, buff underparts. Wings and tail are gray. Legs and feet are black. Weak fluttering flight of short duration, alternates rapid wing beats with wings drawn to sides.

● Song: "pri-u, de-u, de-u", "bit-bit-bit", "dee-dee-dee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Brown-headed Nuthatch: Eats pine seeds, insects, and spiders. Forages over, around, and up and down branches, small twigs, and trunks, sometimes hanging upside down; caches seeds.

● Breeding & nesting: Brown-headed Nuthatch: Three to nine white eggs with red brown speckles are laid in a cavity nest made of soft bark shreds, wood chips, grass, wool, hair, and feathers, and built from 2 to 12 feet above the ground in a dead or live tree, bird box, stump, or old post. Female incubates eggs for about 14 days.

● Similar species: Brown-headed Nuthatch: White-breasted Nuthatch is larger and has black cap. Red-breasted Nuthatch has black cap and eyestripe and rust-brown underparts.

Flight Pattern

Weak fluttering flight of short duration, with series of rapid wing beats followed by wings pulled in to sides, repeated.
Brown-headed Nuthatch Breeding Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Brown-headed Nuthatch: Resident in much of the southeastern U.S. Preferred habitats include coniferous and mixed forests.
BreedingMonogamous, Cooperative
PopulationFairly common
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight0.4 Ounces