Brown-headed Nuthatch Nest, Eggs and Young

• DESCRIPTIONS of cavity-nester nests and eggs + Clues on Nests | Eggs
• PHOTO ALBUM with pictures of cavity nesting birds, nests and eggs
• TABLE showing relative sizes of eggs, and egg photos side by side
• Preferred HABITAT, by species

• Downloadable 2 page guide (PDF) to common nests found in CT
• Mystery nests (have fun trying to guess)
• Unusual nest sites Part 1 Part 2 and nestbox specs by species
• Weird eggs  (e.g., dwarf, odd coloration)

Typical Brown-headed Nuthatch (BHNU - Sitta Pusilla) Nest Description: Photo by Vicki Fuquay of southern Virginia. This box was only 25 feet from bird feeders.

Use a 1.25" hole reducer to prevent bluebirds from taking over boxes.

Nest Description: Nests may start with dried leaves, or be lined with pine seed husks, inner bark strips, wood chips, grasses, cotton and feathers. Fuquay described this nest as tidy, with strips of bark and a few leaves. They stuffed the ventilation holes with strips of bark. They may cover eggs when leaving nest.

Egg Description: Eggs tiny, smooth (almost no gloss) with evenly distributed fine reddish-brown dots/small spots/blotches. Fuquay said these eggs had a cream colored backgound. In this nest, incubation began March 30.

See biology of nuthatches (mostly about White-breasted)

2 day old BNHU nestlings. Photo by Vickie Fuquay.

These babies were fed suet, nuts and shelled sunflower seeds from a nearby feeder.

16 day old BHNUs. Photo by Vickie Fuquay.

Preferred habitat: Clearings and burned areas, Open, mature pine forest with open understory, esp. Loblolly and Longleaf-slash, where snags are present. Favors recently burned stands. Less frequently found in younger pine or pine-hardwood (e.g., oak/hickory) stands with snags and grassy openings, or mature pine stands with heavy undergrowth. May be in parks and neighborhoods that have large live pines in open areas. In Florida in cypress swamps and prairies with adjoining pine woodlands.

The Audubon Society has placed BHNU's on their watch list as numbers have dropped by 45% in the past 35 years.