Tennessee · Year-round resident

Brown-headed Nuthatchs in Tennessee

When brown-headed nuthatches are present in Tennessee, when they nest, which native Tennessee plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 6a–8a yard.

Nuthatches (Sittidae)Brown-headed NuthatchSitta pusilla

Status in Tennessee: Year-round resident
Nesting window: March–May
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 6a–8a
Nest box: 1 in hole, 4 × 4 in floor, 5–12 ft

When to expect brown-headed nuthatches in Tennessee

Brown-headed Nuthatchs live in Tennessee all year. Moderate winters; high elevations in the Smokies hold northern species year-round. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward loblolly and longleaf pine seeds.

Humid subtropical, from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Mississippi River floodplain.

Nesting in Tennessee

Across Tennessee, brown-headed nuthatches typically nest from March–May. Nest site: excavated cavity in dead pine snags; nest boxes. Females lay 3–7 eggs, incubate for 13–15 days, and young leave the nest after 18–19 days.

Hot, humid summers in the valleys.

Have boxes cleaned and mounted before February — brown-headed nuthatches begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
Use a 1 in entrance on a 4 × 4 in floor, mounted 5–12 ft.
Fit a pole baffle or hole guard; ventilation gaps and drainage holes are essential.
Clean out old nests after each brood and again after May.

Native Tennessee plants that attract brown-headed nuthatches

Of the regional native plants we track for Tennessee, these 8 provide food or cover brown-headed nuthatches use:

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Feeding brown-headed nuthatches through the Tennessee year

Travels in family groups through pine woods; readily uses small nest boxes in pine yards.

Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Suet.
In Tennessee's winter: Moderate winters; high elevations in the Smokies hold northern species year-round.

Full diet breakdown for brown-headed nuthatches · Best feeder for brown-headed nuthatches

Frequently asked

Are brown-headed nuthatches in Tennessee year-round?

Yes. Brown-headed Nuthatchs are year-round residents in Tennessee.

When do brown-headed nuthatches nest in Tennessee?

Nesting in Tennessee typically runs March–May, with 1 per season. Clutches are 3–7 eggs, incubated for 13–15 days.

What native plants attract brown-headed nuthatches in Tennessee?

Flowering dogwood, Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Tennessee that provide food or cover for brown-headed nuthatches.

What size birdhouse hole do brown-headed nuthatches need?

1 in, with a floor of 4 × 4 in mounted 5–12 ft.

Brown-headed Nuthatchs in other regions

Alabama Arkansas Delaware Florida Georgia Louisiana Maryland Mississippi North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina Texas Virginia

Other backyard birds in Tennessee

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Carolina Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Carolina Wren Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Pine Siskin Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Northern Mockingbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.