Bird Calls Radio's Bird of the Day for Wednesday, Aug. 10
Red-breasted nuthatch by Chris Bosak (copyright, all rights reserved)
The red-breasted nuthatch is the Bird Calls Radio Bird of the day for Wednesday, Aug. 10. In most parts of New England the red-breasted nuthatch is the less common of the region’s two nuthatches, with the white-breasted nuthatch being the more frequently seen.
In southern New England, where the white-breasted nuthatch is common, the red-breasted nuthatch is quite rare. A lucky backyard birdwatcher will get one or two sightings a year, if they are lucky. To me, red-breasted nuthatches at first almost look more like chickadees than white-breasted nuthatches when I see them. They are closer in size to chickadees than their larger, bulkier cousins.
Red-breasted nuthatches will come to feeders offering sunflower seeds, as the above photo demonstrates.