The Red-breasted Nuthatch ( Sitta canadensis) is a small (4-1/2 inches long) nuthatch with a black cap and a black line through the eye and a white line above it. The underparts are rust colored. Back, wings and tail a slate blue grey.

Female is similar but grey crown. The call sounds very much like a little tin horn -- yank yank. The little bird spends much of its time upside down searching for bugs and seeds in conifer forests. As you can see it definitely visits feeders.

These birds are cavity nesters. The nest is made of twigs and lined with plant matter. There are 5 to 6 white eggs spotted with reddish brown. Incubation period is from 12 to 18 days. They fledge in 21 to 27 days.

The range is throughout the US and much of Canada in coniferous forests.

Their lifespan is not long, perhaps from 2 to 5 years. Oldest known red-breasted nuthatch lived 7.5 years.

Class: Aves | Order: Passeriformes | Family: Sittidae | Genus: Sitta

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