skip to main content

Brown Headed Nuthatch in my bluebird box

15 years ago

I was very excited to see nesting material in my new bluebird box, but when I watched the box today, I saw a brown headed nuthatch coming out! Is it common for the nuthatch to nest in a bluebird box?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

bigmatt
15 years ago
I would love to host one,I have never hosted one ,but I think it would be common in areas were Brown-headed Nuthatches are common.I have only seen one,it was nesting in a natural cavity,squeaky little bird.

Matt
Baltimore MD
nc_novice
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for the response! I walked down this morning, interrupted the nest building and received a squeaky scolding!
Related Discussions
Tufted Titmouse/Nuthatch Pair?
Q
Comments (11)
We find that lots of birds love the peanut suet. There aren't any seeds in it (they can get those at the other feeders) and they gobble it up. The catbirds, cardinals, mockingbirds, woodpeckers (red bellied and downy), nuthatches, titmice/mouses, and chickadees come to it a lot. We often see hummers feeding at the flowers in our gardens, but not much at the feeder so far. They usually eat from the feeder more in late summer and early fall when they're fattening up to head across the Gulf. (How do dey do dat???)
...See More
Chicadees in Bluebird box
Q
Comments (8)
Congratulations! The dees are my favorite nest box guest! I just love 'em. I will tell you that in my experience my dees are just as, if not more, tolerant of monitoring as my bluebirds are. I've been lucky enough to host them for the last 5 (maybe 6?) years and they seem to communicate with me more than any other bird in my yard. I have several dee stories over the years that tell me they know I'm there to help and would not harm them, their eggs, or their babies. Having said that, I've read many times that chickadees are not as tolerant of monitoring and might even abandon a nest that is monitored. Truth be, not nearly as much research has been put into nesting chickadees as nesting bluebirds. I never monitor unnecessarily but there have been times (like this season with my dees) when monitoring saved one little dees life. His/her foot was stuck on some of the nesting material and there was no way in the world he would have been able to fledge (this, btw, was day 22!!!! Way past time to fledge) had I not removed him, the nest, and soaked the foot that was stuck to something in the nest. I returned him, nest and all, and he fledged with in an hour. I have no doubts that the adults knew I was helping him and were happy that I checked. His siblings had likely fledged 3 to 4 days before him. My Carolina Dees usually are on a similar schedule as the bluebirds and Brown Headed Nuthatches, the other species that has nested in my boxes. They usually hatch on about the 13th day and usually fledge on the 18th or 19th day. I think only the female incubates.
...See More
What happened to my Bluebirds?
Q
Comments (9)
cindy.holiman2511 I have just found this forum, but wanted to respond to your post. Please get bluebird boxes that you can open and monitor. The blues are people friendly and will not abandon the nest even if you check it daily. That way you can head off some problems like wasps and ants in the box. Last summer I found a dead baby bird in one of my boxes and was able to remove it so the parents could continue to raise the others to fledge. In addition, the blues will nest up to 3 times per season, so you need to clean the old nests out of the boxes as soon as the babies fledge. Snakes are one of the worst predators so you need a snake baffle or do as I do. I twist deer netting around the base of the pole up about 2'. The snakes get caught and I cut them out and release them miles away in the woods.
...See More
Did House Wren take over Nuthatch nest?
Q
Comments (20)
Hi Konrad, Kinda sad to lose your RBNH nest... but this is nature at work I guess. Yes, we lost 1 bluebird egg to a HOWR 2 seasons ago. We saw him fly to and into the nest box, and come out with the pierced egg still impaled on his beak! We were waving our arms and shouting at him, as he dropped it on the ground and flew off. It all happened in 30 seconds or less. We discouraged him with a squirt gun for days and the parent blues dived bombed him mercilessly whenever he came near. He finally stopped coming around, and I'm happy to say the other 3 eggs hatched and fledged successfully. Hope your Nuthatches try again for you, Kenn Here is a link that might be useful: Latest Slideshow
...See More
donnalovesblue
15 years ago
Last season, these little cuties nested in one of my bb boxes on the opposite side of the yard where the blues nested. The box was partially under a crepe myrtle branch, but they didn't nest this early. When they began building, the entire tree was green and beginning to bloom. Along with the blues, they are checking out the bb box, but the blues chase them off every time. I'm hoping they nest again this year in their former home!
You'll enjoy having them.

Donna
kendra2003
15 years ago
I'm way too far north to see one, but those Brown-Headed Nuthatches sure are cute. Lucky you to have one nesting in your yard.
shurflo
15 years ago
I've got three bluebird houses up. This past weekend a brown headed nuthatch was building a nest in one and a white breasted nuthatch was building a nest in another. A Tufted Titmouse had used that house for the past two years. I've never gotten any bluebirds. What am I doing wrong?

Here is a link that might be useful: shurflo
bluebars
15 years ago
shurflo, maybe you should be like, THRILLED! to have nuthatches! AND a tufted titmouse! nesting. I would be overjoyed.
What is your habitat like? Where are you located geographically? And what do Shurfly pumps have to do with bluebirds?
BlueBars
bet_from_ct
15 years ago
Lucky you Shurflo! I'd love to see a picture of a BHNU nest!!!

Maybe your habitat is not open enough? Bluebirds like short vegetation like mowed meadows. Nuthatches tend to be near woods.

I had my first White breasted nuthatch nestings last year - one in a hanging box, one in a box mounted on a tree (not mine). See link below for more info on nuthatches, I love em!

Here is a link that might be useful: nuthatches in nestboxes
renee1958
15 years ago
I also have a pair making a nest in a bb box. It is the same box that HOSP tried to claim last year. I thought it was the Hosp again and pulled the nesting material out 2 days in a row before I realized the BHNUs were the ones building. I hope I didnt discourage them because I want them to stay.

Related Stories

GARDENING FOR BIRDS Backyard Birds: Those Nutty Nuthatches

By Habitat Network

The North American songbirds, which often perch upside down, make themselves known in the winter landscape

FALL GARDENING 7 Reasons Not to Clean Up Your Fall Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Northern Cardinals in the Snow, and Other Red Birds

By Habitat Network

Brilliant crimson feathers make these friends stand out in a crowd

GARDENING GUIDES 13 North American Backyard Birds to Know

By Annie Thornton

Find out about these enchanting native species and learn how to attract them to your yard

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Be a Citizen Scientist to Help Wildlife, Learn and Have Fun Too

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Track butterflies, study birds, capture stars ... when you aid monitoring efforts, you’re lending Mother Nature a hand

GARDENING GUIDES Garden-Friendly Native Alternatives to Overplanted Exotics

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

There are lots of gorgeous, wildlife-friendly native plants ready to make an appearance in your garden

BASEMENTS Houzz TV: Ashton Kutcher Surprises Mom With the Basement of Her Dreams

In a new Houzz original series, the actor uses the Houzz app to find a designer and shop products to turn the dark area into a bright space

Sponsored

More Discussions

Bluebirds never leave North Texas boxes.

0