Bird guide · Sitta pusilla
Brown-headed Nuthatch
What the brown-headed nuthatch eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident
- Size
- 4.5 in (11.5 cm)
- Eats
- seeds, suet
- Feeds
- tube, suet cage
- Most common
- Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina
Food
What do brown-headed nuthatches eat?
At feeders, brown-headed nuthatches take seeds, suet.
Found in pairs or family groups that call constantly.
Feeder that suits it
A suet cage on a tree trunk or pole; peanuts and sunflower hearts work too.
Range
Where do brown-headed nuthatches live?
Southeastern pine forests; probably the least numerous nuthatch in North America. By share of all bird sightings, brown-headed nuthatches are most common in Georgia (1.6%).
States where brown-headed nuthatches are most common
- Georgia1.6%
- North Carolina1.1%
- South Carolina1.0%
- Alabama0.8%
- Mississippi0.5%
- Delaware0.3%
- Virginia0.2%
- Louisiana0.2%
- Arkansas0.2%
- Tennessee0.1%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are brown-headed nuthatches, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the brown-headed nuthatch migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are brown-headed nuthatches, by month.
Identification
How to identify the brown-headed nuthatch
Adults: Brown cap down to the eye, white nape spot, grey back.
Size: 4.5 in (11.5 cm)
Nesting
Does the brown-headed nuthatch use nest boxes?
Yes. Will use birdhouses and old woodpecker holes.
On camera
Getting the brown-headed nuthatch on a feeder camera
Pick a camera feeder that takes a suet cage, or mount a separate camera next to a suet feeder on the trunk – woodpeckers cling to the bark while they feed.
Questions
Brown-headed Nuthatch: questions
What do brown-headed nuthatches eat?
At feeders, seeds, suet.
Do brown-headed nuthatches migrate?
Year-round resident. Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in February.
Where do brown-headed nuthatches live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia.