Nuthatch, Latin name Sitta europaea
Family: Sittidae, characterised by large heads with powerful dagger-like bills.
Length: 12.5cm Wingspan:16 to 18cm Weight 12 to 18g
Widespread throughout England and Wales, although much scarcer in Northern England. Can be found over large areas of Europe except Iceland, Northern Scandinavia and Southern Spain. Has in recent years begun to Breed in Cumbria and Southern Scotland.
It is a resident in the UK and can be more of a frequent visitor to bird tables and feeders throughout the winter months.
Habitat: Mostly mixed and deciduous woodlands. Will also come into gardens that have mature trees, very seldom travels far from the cover of a tree and will usually stay local. When breeding the Nuthatch will forage within its maintained territories; very rarely will an adult bird leave its territory even after the breeding season finishes.
Feeding: Invertebrates, seeds, berries, and nuts including acorns. They are forever foraging for invertebrates in or under the bark of trees, sometimes foraging in an upside-down position which gives the Nuthatch an added advantage over most other small birds to get to an insect. Also, will wedge a large nut or acorn into a crevice Then by using their strong bills will break it open, even a hazelnut will be opened; hence giving this species it’s English name. They will also forage on the ground on or under leaf litter, to recover fallen berries and nuts.
Nesting: 1 brood between April and July, 6 to 9 eggs. Usually found in an old woodpecker hole or nest box, made up largely of bark chips and leaves. If the entrance hole is too large, they will make it smaller by plastering mud in and around it. The female takes care of the eggs throughout the incubation period, but both sexes will tend to the young for up to 25 days before they fledge and leave the nest.
The sexes look similar but may differ slightly in coloration, especially under the tail and on the rear flanks. Juveniles and first-year Nuthatches’ are hard to tell apart from adult birds.
Song: Very vocal with various loud sounds and an assortment of whistles with fast ringing trills, with loud calls “chwit”.