Red-breasted Nuthatchs in Arizona

Red-breasted Nuthatchs live in Arizona all year. Low deserts stay mild and host many wintering sparrows and hummingbirds; the high country gets snow. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward spruce, fir and pine seeds.

Hot Sonoran and Mojave deserts in the south and west, with pine-oak sky islands and the Colorado Plateau rising above 7,000 ft.

Across Arizona, red-breasted nuthatches typically nest from April–June. Nest site: excavated cavity in soft dead conifers or aspens; uses boxes. Females lay 5–8 eggs, incubate for 12–13 days, and young leave the nest after 18–21 days.

Summer highs above 110°F in Phoenix and Tucson make water the single strongest attractant; the July monsoon triggers a second breeding pulse.

• Have boxes cleaned and mounted before March — red-breasted nuthatches begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
• Use a 1 1/4 in entrance on a 4 × 4 in floor, mounted 5–15 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 June.

Of the regional native plants we track for Arizona, these 8 provide food or cover red-breasted nuthatches use:

Irrupts south in poor cone years; smears sap around its nest hole to deter predators.

• Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Suet, Peanut hearts.
• In Arizona's winter: Low deserts stay mild and host many wintering sparrows and hummingbirds; the high country gets snow.

Full diet breakdown for red-breasted nuthatches · Best feeder for red-breasted nuthatches