Sunflower seeds, peanuts, and suet bring the gregarious brown-headed nuthatch to our garden feeders in the winter. Like other nuthatches, they eat seeds at the feeder during the winter months, but during warm weather, the bird will forage for bark-dwelling insects.
In the summer, we are alerted to their arrival by their familiar rubber-ducky squeaks. We watch them climb up and down the pine trunks in characteristic nuthatch fashion inspecting the bark, the cones and pine bracts in their search for spiders, cockroaches, egg cases, etc., as well as pine nuts. To have a little fun with them, we hide peanuts under the bark that they love to discover, sometimes with the male feeding his mate.
Sadly, due to the loss of their mature pine forest habitat, it is reported that these 4.5″ birds are declining at a rate of 2% a year, down close to 45% in the last 30 years. One possible way to help the brown-headed nuthatch is to build a birdhouse. Make sure the entrance hole is 1 1/4″ in diameter with a 4″ x 4″ floor and 9″ ceiling. Hinge one side for cleaning, make ventilation holes and attach about 7′ or 8′ above the ground. Next, invite them to your feeder.
Ann Hohenberger, The Garden Club of Gloucester