Nuthatchs in Sweden
When the Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is present in Sweden, when it nests, and which native Sweden plants supply the food it depends on.
- Status in Sweden
- Resident all year
- Nesting season
- May–June
- Size
- 14 cm, 23 g
- Nest box
- 32 mm hole
When to expect nuthatchs in Sweden
The Nuthatch lives in Sweden all year round. Long, cold winters with snow; feeders keep tits, Nuthatches and finches going for months.
Temperate in the south, boreal across most of the country and subarctic in the far north.
Nesting in Sweden
In Sweden the Nuthatch usually nests May–June. Nest site: tree hole or box; entrance plastered with mud. Clutches are 6–8 eggs, incubated for 13–18 days; chicks fledge after 20–26 days, and pairs raise 1 per year.
- Nest box: 32 mm hole. Put boxes up by February and clean them out between September and January.
- Avoid cutting hedges during the nesting season (roughly March to August) — in the UK, disturbing an active nest is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Native Sweden plants for nuthatchs
Of the native plants we track for Sweden, these 8 provide food the Nuthatch uses:
Haws feed thrushes all winter; spring blossom supports hundreds of insect species.
Late-winter berries when little else is left, plus dense nesting cover.
Late-summer berries taken by Blackcaps and thrushes.
Thorny cover that protects nests; early blossom for insects.
Berries and nest sites in its tangles; moths for insect-eaters.
Blackberries and impenetrable nesting cover.
Early-summer cherries for Blackbirds and Jays.
Windfalls sustain thrushes and Fieldfares into winter.
Feeding in the garden
Insects, hazelnuts and seeds.
- Best foods: Peanuts, Sunflower hearts, Suet.
- Feeders: Peanut mesh, Suet cage.
- Plasters mud around nest-box holes to make them the right size.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked
Are nuthatchs in Sweden all year?
Yes — the Nuthatch is resident in Sweden all year.
When do nuthatchs nest in Sweden?
Typically May–June. Clutches are 6–8 eggs, incubated for 13–18 days, with 1 per year.
Which native plants help nuthatchs in Sweden?
Hawthorn, Ivy, Elder, Blackthorn, Honeysuckle, Bramble, Wild cherry, Crab apple are native to Sweden and provide food or cover the Nuthatch uses.
What nest box does the Nuthatch use?
32 mm hole.
Nuthatchs in other countries
Other garden birds in Sweden
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.