Red-breasted Nuthatchs in California

Red-breasted Nuthatchs live in California all year. Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward spruce, fir and pine seeds.

Mediterranean along the coast and Central Valley, alpine in the Sierra Nevada, and desert in the southeast.

Across California, 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.

Dry summers with little rain from May to October; water and summer-blooming natives matter more than extra seed.

• 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 California, 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 California's winter: Wet, mild winters are the green season — the busiest time at coastal feeders as sparrows and hummingbirds settle in.

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