Nuthatches

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis A faint tapping was barely audible amid the wheezy songs of Black-throated Green Warblers that seemed to fill the air near the Mary Jemison statue in Letchworth SP on 4 June 1961. When Arthur Freitag investigated, he found a Red-breasted Nuthatch “sitting on a perch about twenty feet from the ground and just below a hole near the broken off top of a dead pine tree.” As the nuthatch entered the hole, another “squeezed by in the small hole. The soft pecking sound began again and then stopped as a bird appeared at the entrance hole to let fall from its bill what could be incorrectly called sawdust.” All that month and into July, Freitag checked in on the nesting birds. “On June 29 I observed that the lower border of the nest opening was covered with a shiny, gummy substance that formed, at one place, a ball about three eighths of an inch thick.” (See Background below.)One of the adults entered the hole with something in its mouth, but quickly left. By 13 July, the nest was vacated. (KB12: 23) A string of nasal “enk enk enk” calls – more than one veteran birder has likened it to a busy signal on a telephone – signals the presence of this small denizen of conifer forests. Of the two nuthatch species seen here, the smaller Red-breasted is more migratory and unpredictable than the White-breasted Nuthatch, and less prevalent as a nesting species. But the Breeding Bird Atlas projects seem to indicate it is expanding its presence as a breeder in our region.
Background
This is a common resident of North American coniferous forests, sounding its tinhorn “yank, yank, yank” from the Pacific Coast of British Columbia to the Atlantic Coast of Nova Scotia, and extending southward into the mountains of the American Southwest and the southern Appalachians in the east, notes the profile of this species in The Birds of North America series. It differs from the continent’s three other nuthatches in preferring forests with a strong component of fir and spruce, unlike the Pygmy and Brown-headed Nuthatches of pine forests, and the White-breasted Nuthatch of deciduous woodlands. It has recently expanded its breeding range southward in the southeast, and in southern Canada, where conifer plantations have increased suitable habitat. Most birds are year-round residents. However, some birds of northernmost populations withdraw to southern parts of the breeding range in winter, and regular larger irruptions occur outside this range when crops of conifer seeds are poor. This species excavates its own nesting cavities, smearing the entrances with resin during incubation and brooding in an apparent attempt to deter predators. Occasionally uses small pieces of bark as resin “applicator.” Females are particularly adept at “diving into nest cavity at high speeds without soiling their feathers.” Irruptive nature of this species makes it difficult to assess population sizes, however, BBS data suggests significant increases throughout its breeding range from 1966 to 1996. (BNA 459: 1-2, 15-16, 18-19)
Local history
Eaton (1910) listed this only as a fairly common transient (Monroe and Wayne counties) and irregular winter visitor (Monroe), with no indication of it ever remaining to breed in our region. He gave no indication of occurrence in Livingston County. (Eaton I: county charts) R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated average counts of one to three birds, with a maximum count of 20. Aside from a single breeding record (see below) he reported it was primarily a winter visitor. When Leo Tanghe examined 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-1954, this species was reported less than half as often as White-breasted Nuthatch within a 50-miles radius of Rochester. It was reported 257 times, primarily as a migrant and winter visitor, with only five records during the summer months. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B) A tally of 10 at the Sandy Creek woods 25 August 1957 was considered “extraordinary” for the date, according to John Brown. “Some years go by with only scattered records of Red-breasted nuthatches, and usually they are first reported much later in the season.” (BA, 29 August 1957) However, in early September that year this species “fairly swarmed through the area in contrast to its relative scarcity a year ago,” Miller observed. (KB 7:121; see also Bull, p. 407)
Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a regular, uncommon summer resident and a regular, uncommon to common winter visitant.Livingston County, Fox (1998) considered this a regular fairly common permanent resident, an irregular fairly common to rare winter visitant and a (presumably irregular) fairly common spring and fall transient.
Occurrence
Summer/breeding status: Always known as a breeder in the Adirondacks and Catskills, it had clearly extended its breeding range to lower elevations since Eaton’s time, Bull noted in 1974. (Bull, p. 407) “With the gradual reforestation of much of the state during this (20th) century, the Red-breasted Nuthatch has had new opportunities placed in its path, especially as the conifer plantations established in the 1930s have matured,” John M. C. Peterson notes in The Atlas of Breeding Birds in New York State. (Andrle, p. 294) Horsey indicated the first Monroe County nesting record was in June 1917. Tanghe, in his 1953 listing of breeding birds in the Rochester area, considered this a probable nester at Wayland. (GOS, May/August 1953) Edson in 1959 reported it had nested in the Pinetum at Highland Park “about 30 years ago” and in Bergen Swamp in 1952. (WBR, 24 August 1959) A pair was seen feeding young at the swamp in 1958. (KB8:47) It also nested in Durand-Eastman Park in 1966; an adult was seen feeding young in a nest in a conifer on 15 May. “It has long been suspected that this species nested there.” (KB 16:159)Seven were found by Chip Perrigo at Mendon Ponds Park on 8 July 1971 (KB 21:221), indicating the possibility of breeding at that location. In 1977 this species was reported to be “well established in almost all fair-sized pine plantations, even near the lake,” Perrigo noted. (LG, July 1977) Doug Bassett, park naturalist at Letchworth SP, said this species can be found at many sites there, preferring evergreen plantations.Though this species is much more restricted as a breeder in our region than White-breasted, the BBA projects suggest it is increasing its breeding presence in higher elevations to the south, not only in our region, but all across the southern tier. Evidence of breeding was relatively scattered on the lake plain during both projects.

Fall: The Monroe County annotated list (1985) indicated that winter visitants arrive on a range of dates from 17 August to 30 September, with a mid range, or “normal arrival time” of 2 to 10 September. However, one on 3 August 1963 (Listman) at Manitou was reported to be the “first southbound” bird of the season. (KB 13:210) Large movements of migrants can occur along the lakeshore.
Fall maxima: 50+ on 13 September 1997 (D. and D. Traver) Hamlin Beach. (GOS, November 1997) 75 on 22 September 1977 (Perrigo) at Hamlin Beach (LG, October 1977) followed by . . . 300 on 22 October 1977 (RBA trip) at Hamlin Beach SP, apparently in association with a chickadee irruption. (LG, November 1977) 80 on 22 October 1994 (R. Spahn) at Hamlin Beach. (GOS, December 1994) 150 on 23 October 2003 (M. Tetlow) at Hamlin Beach. (LG, December 2003) 200 on 25 or 30 October 1971 (R. Clark) at Hamlin Beach SP. (GNR, KB 22:31)
Winter

Winter maxima: 50 on 1 January 1978 (R. Spahn) at Hamlin Beach SP. (GOS, March 1978) followed by…. 200+ on 2 January 1978 (Lauer) at Hamlin Beach SP. (LG, February 1978) 30 on 9 January 1988 (R. Spahn) at Durand-Eastman Park. (GOS, March 1988)
Spring: In most years winter visitants had departed by 26 May, with a late departure date of 8 June.
Misc.
Banded birds: One was banded in 8 of 12 autumns at Manitou through 1997. (GOS, February 1999)

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis
John Brown’s wife was not “overly addicted” to birds, but could scarcely help noticing the antics of the White-breasted Nuthatches coming to their feeder in Scottsville, “since the elm tree that supports the feeding station preempts most of the . . . view from the kitchen window.” In March 1958, for example, she reported the “swift transition” that had taken place in the relationship of a pair that had been regular visitors all winter. “Up until now the male has appeared each day and taken over the feeding station, selecting the largest and most succulent seeds and repairing to a likely spot to extract and devour the kernels, oblivious of the mate that tagged along,” Brown reported in his column. “Things are different now. He selects the fattest seeds, not for himself, but for her; takes out the kernel, feeds it to her, makes a short bow and regales her with a burst of spring song before darting off for another gift morsel.” (BA, 27 March 1958)The nasal ank-ank-ank draws attention to this bird foraging over the trunks of trees. Unlike woodpeckers and creepers, which use their tails as a brace and invariably keep their heads up, nuthatches maneuver using only their legs and feet, and often climb head down. On a cold morning in January 1938, Richard O’Hara, then a young birder of 14, watched two of these birds near a Rochester feeding station. They “were feeding off pieces of bread taken from the ground under the window. Most of these they stuck in cracks in the bark of trees, when they thought I wasn’t looking.” (Diary entry, 28 January 1938)
Background
This species is a permanent resident of deciduous forests across most of the United States and central Mexico, nesting in natural holes in large old trees. With a crushed insect in its bill, a nuthatch will often “sweep” the inside or outside of the nest, presumably using chemical defense secretions of the insects to discourage squirrels from entering. Forages by climbing up, down and around trunks and large limbs. “Nuthatch” is presumably derived from this bird’s habit of using crevices to hold fast large seeds and nuts, which it then hacks open with its bill. Overall, populations appear to be secure, and slowly increasing. (BNA 54: 1, 9, 11)
Local history
Eaton (1910) listed this as a common resident in Monroe, Livingston and Wayne counties. (Eaton I: county charts) R. E. Horsey, in his listing of birds seen at Rochester and Monroe County from 1913 to 1936, indicated average counts of two birds, with a maximum count of 20.When Leo Tanghe examined 1,665 outings by Genesee Ornithological Society members from 1951-54, this species was reported 678 times – more than twice as often as Red-breasted – within a 50-mile radius of Rochester. Average tallies of one to two were reported year round. (KB 5: 69: 5A-5B)Tanghe, in his 1953 listing of breeding birds in the Rochester area, considered this an uncommon nester at such locations as Tyron Park and the Burroughs-Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary near Bushnell’s Basin. (GOS, May/August 1953)
Status
The Monroe County annotated list (1985) described this as a common permanent resident.Livingston County, Fox (1998) also considered this a common permanent resident.
Occurrence
This larger of our two nuthatches is more widely distributed than Red-breasted, nesting in a variety of deciduous woods, swamps, orchards, and suburban and urban areas with large trees. Nest building is most evident in April. (Andrle, p. 296)
Breeding status: The BBA projects both found evidence of breeding in all but a handful of blocks assigned to our region.

Fall: Though more sedentary than Red-breasted, this species is “nevertheless quite migratory at times,” Bull noted. For example, 28 were seen at Oklahoma Beach 8 October 1961 during a big movement of Black-capped Chickadees. (Bull, p. 407)
Winter:

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