Nuthatches (Sittidae)

Nuthatch

Sitta europaea

Length
14 cm
Weight
23 g
Clutch
6–8 eggs
Incubation
13–18 days
Fledging
20–26 days
Broods
1 per year
Nest box
32 mm hole

Identification

  • Blue-grey back
  • Black eye-stripe
  • Orange-buff underparts; climbs down trunks head-first

Loud 'chwit-chwit' and ringing whistles.

Diet and garden feeding

Insects, hazelnuts and seeds.

  • Best foods: Peanuts, Sunflower hearts, Suet.
  • Plasters mud around nest-box holes to make them the right size.

Nesting

Tree hole or box; entrance plastered with mud.

Nuthatchs by country

Sources

  1. Nuthatch — RSPB bird guide
  2. Nuthatch — BTO BirdFacts

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.