Nuthatch Facts (Sitta Europaea)

Size: 14 cm head to tail

Weight: 20-24g

Wingspan: 20 - 25 cm

Eggs:  4 - 13 per brood

Food: insects, spiders and beetles in summer, Peanuts and seed mixes in winter

Nesting: Nests in cavities in trees and walls or abandoned nests

Population: Stable

Song: Loud ringing of piping notes, “chit chit chit chit” or “tui tui tui”

Nuthatches are small birds and have unique colourings making them different to any other UK garden bird. Its Latin name is Sitta Europaea and belongs to the nuthatch family, the Sittidae family. The name Nuthatch comes from the behaviour in which a Nuthatch breaks into a nut, they jam a nut into a tree crevice then repeatedly hammer the nut with their beaks until it cracks open. Other names a Nuthatch is referred to are mud dabbler and mud stopper which refers to the species nesting habits.

Appearance

Nuthatches are plump birds which have a similar appearance to woodpeckers. The upperparts of their bodies, including their wings, crown and nape, are a beautiful blue-grey. The underparts of the bird are orangey fading to red-brown colour towards the vent.

The Nuthatch has a white head with a black eye stripe, giving them an appearance of wearing an eye mask. This species has yellow-brown legs. Juveniles are very similar to the adults but they don’t have as much brown on their flanks as the adults until they reach maturity.

Where they are found and what they like to eat

Nuthatches can be seen all year round in the UK. The majority of Nuthatches like to live in mature woodlands or parkland in central and southern England and Wales where food is plentiful. They can occasionally be seen in Scotland, however the Nuthatch is absent from Ireland.

The diet of this species consists of insects, spiders and beetles in summer. As natural invertebrate sources become harder find throughout the winter the Nuthatch will turn to eating nuts and seeds, making them a common garden visitor through the winter if you are lucky enough to have them living nearby! Nuthatches rarely travel far from their territory so it can be difficult to attract these birds to your garden if they don’t live locally to your area.

These birds are good for controlling tree damaging pests due to them eating insects from tree trunks. For these birds we offer peanuts, suet products and a range of feeder mixes which they love.

Breeding

For Nuthatches breeding season begins in late April with 4 – 13 eggs laid per clutch. Most breeding pairs will have between 1 - 2 broods per year. The eggs are smooth, glossy and white with reddish-brown spots and are about 20 mm by 15 mm in size.

Only the female incubates the eggs for 14 – 18 days, then once the young have hatched both parents feed the young for 23 – 25 days before the young fledge the nest. The juveniles rarely go far from where they hatched. They are nosy woodland birds but are silent when breeding.

Nesting and Territory

Nuthatches nest in cavities and rarely build their own nests as they like to use holes in trees and walls. They may also take over an old abandoned nest of another bird. Nest boxes with a large hole may be used for nesting, the Nuthatch will make the hole smaller using mud and dead leaves as protection from predators.

Pairs of Nuthatches are extremely territorial throughout the entire year. They tend to store food within a territory which increases the need to defend it from other birds. They are bold and aggressive and can hold their ground even when a larger bird tries to intimidate them.

Extra Information

Nuthatches are the only species which can walk up and down a tree, they don’t use their tail for support but rely on the strength of their legs and toes to hold onto the surface of a tree. Unlike woodpeckers or tree creepers the Nuthatch can descend head first back down tree trunks, other species climb up to the top then fly back down. Nuthatches are one of the few birds which use a tool to help find food, they have been seen using a piece of bark to open cracks in other pieces of bark in search of insects.