{"id":2415,"date":"2014-02-21T13:29:30","date_gmt":"2014-02-21T18:29:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/?p=2415"},"modified":"2021-01-14T17:29:49","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T22:29:49","slug":"red-breasted-and-white-breasted-nuthatch-names","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalcrooks.com\/rambles\/red-breasted-and-white-breasted-nuthatch-names\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Breasted or White Breasted: Nuthatches Both Live Up to Their Names"},"content":{"rendered":"

If I pay attention to the Black Capped Chickadees in winter, I can usually also find Downy Woodpeckers, White Breasted and Red Breasted Nuthatches. These small birds often move in loose flocks through the forest taking advantage of each others\u2019 company for protection from predators and perhaps using each others\u2019 success to help find their own food.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Red Breasted Nuthatch Keeping an Eye on Me<\/em><\/p>\n

So on a recent winter\u2019s walk, I wasn\u2019t surprised to find both kinds of Ontario\u2019s Nuthatches enjoying black oil sunflower seeds from a feeder. I tried to coax them to feed from my hand on some peanuts, which the Black Capped Chickadees were quick to enjoy, but the Nuthatches weren\u2019t interested.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

White Breasted Nuthatch<\/em><\/p>\n

Someone had filled the feeder relatively recently and the Nuthatches (and some of the Chickadees) were taking advantage of this windfall. They weren\u2019t eating the seeds, though. They were carrying them off to hide safely as a secret supply to eat during the next winter shortage.<\/p>\n

Given the generous numbers of both Red and Grey Squirrels that I saw raiding the feeders, this was probably a sound strategy.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

This Red Squirrel is more concerned about the other Red Squirrel hogging the feeder than it is interested in me.<\/em><\/p>\n

Whither the words “Nuthatch” in the Nuthatches’ Name?<\/h2>\n

According to various bird books, the name Nuthatch comes from this seed-storing behaviour. The theory is that someone called the birds Nuthatches after watching them hide the seeds. Personally, I doubt anyone could confuse jamming a sunflower seed into a tree trunk with brooding a nestful of eggs. I suspect the word is a corruption of some other earlier name.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

First I take the sunflower seed…<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

…then I make it disappear.<\/em><\/p>\n

AllAboutBirds<\/strong><\/a> says the \u201chatch\u201d part refers to the way the birds sometimes wedge a seed into a tree trunk then hammer it open, thus \u201chatching\u201d out the seed inside. I\u2019m not convinced.<\/p>\n

Hinterland Who\u2019s Who<\/strong><\/a> says the name originally was nut-hack. If so, that might make more sense.<\/p>\n

At least the Red and White Breasted part of their names makes sense. Although you should keep in mind that the White Breasted Nuthatch has some rusty streaks on its flanks and lower belly.<\/p>\n

Related Reading<\/strong><\/p>\n