White-breasted Nuthatchs in California

White-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 acorns, hickory nuts and seeds; sunflower, peanuts and suet at feeders.

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

Across California, white-breasted nuthatches typically nest from March–June. Nest site: natural cavities in large trees; occasionally nest boxes. Females lay 5–9 eggs, incubate for 13–14 days, and young leave the nest after 18–26 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 February — white-breasted nuthatches begin prospecting ahead of egg-laying.
• Use a 1 1/4 in round entrance on a 4 × 4 in floor, mounted 5–20 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 white-breasted nuthatches use:

Nuthatches grab a seed, fly to a crevice, and hammer it open — so feeders near mature, rough-barked trees get more visits.

• Best foods: Black-oil sunflower, Shelled peanuts, Suet.
• 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 white-breasted nuthatches · Best feeder for white-breasted nuthatches