Eurasian Nuthatch

Parc de Tres Glands, Luxembourg

The Eurasian or wood nuthatch is resident across temperate Eurasia from the UK to Japan. It is also found in the Mediterranean, most of China, Taiwan, and Korea. There are numerous species and  subspecies  throughout the northern hemisphere.

Habitat

The Eurasian nuthatch prefers mature deciduous or mixed woodland particularly with oak trees.

Feeding

Like woodpeckers, nuthatches are arboreal foragers extracting insects and other invertebrates from the bark of trees with their strong beaks. They are omnivores and also eat seeds and nuts especially in winter time when live prey may be scarce. They readily feed from garden food dispensers as illustrated in the photograph above.  Nuthatches are hoarders and store food supplies all the year round.

Breeding

They nest in tree holes which are often old woodpecker nests, and line them with woodchips or pine leaves. The female nuthatch incubates an average 6-9 eggs creamy white eggs with red speckles. Both parents feed the chicks.

Wildfile Specials

• Eurasian nuthatches are sedentary, partly because they are reluctant to cross even short sections of open water. 
• Larger items of food, for example, acorns, big insects and snails, are often wedged in cracks so they can be pounded using the powerful beak. Hence the English name "nuthatch".
• If the entrance to a nesting hole is too big, the nuthatches will plaster it with clay, mud or even dung to make it smaller.
• A Eurasian nuthatch lays as many as 13 eggs in one clutch.