{"id":14999,"date":"2020-12-07T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-07T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=14999"},"modified":"2020-12-07T09:34:34","modified_gmt":"2020-12-07T14:34:34","slug":"take-5-red-breasted-nuthatches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-red-breasted-nuthatches\/","title":{"rendered":"Take 5: Red-Breasted Nuthatches"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Folks this fall have been seeing a lot of Red-breasted Nuthatches\u2014a bird that is more commonly seen in regions north of Massachusetts (though not uncommon in the western part of the state). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year is believed to be an \u201cirruption\u201d year, when lots of typically northern-dwelling birds are seen in large numbers in areas south of where they\u2019d usually spend the winter. Irruptions occur because there is not enough food in their usual winter habitats, whether that\u2019s because of a drought or other natural disaster or because it\u2019s just not a plentiful seed crop year (their preferred winter food) for northern tree species. Several other irruptive bird species<\/a> have also appeared recently in greater numbers, such as Pine Siskins, Red Crossbills, White-winged Crossbills, and Pine Grosbeaks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The name \u201cnuthatch\u201d comes from the way they open tough seeds: they’ll wedge the seed into a bark crevice or branch crotch and use their chisel-like bill to \u201chatchet\u201d the \u201cnut\u201d open. Like their cousins the White-breasted Nuthatch<\/a>, Red-breasted Nuthatches often descend trees head-first, using their relatively large and very strong feet, an adaptation that allows them to forage readily on insects hidden in the bark in the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy these five photos of Red-breasted Nuthatches from our annual Picture This: Your Great Outdoors<\/a> photo contest and let us know if you’ve seen nuthatches of either variety at your feeders this fall\u2014sometimes even both at the same time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Red-breasted
Red-breasted Nuthatch \u00a9 Richard Alvarnaz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Red-breasted
Red-breasted Nuthatch \u00a9 John Zywar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Red-breasted
Red-breasted Nuthatch far from its usual habitat \u00a9 Lindsay McSweeney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Red-breasted
Red-breasted Nuthatch \u00a9 Patricia Cully<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Red-breasted
Red-breasted Nuthatch \u00a9 Lee Millet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Folks this fall have been seeing a lot of Red-breasted Nuthatches\u2014a bird that is more commonly seen in regions north of Massachusetts (though not uncommon in the western part of the state). This year is believed to be an \u201cirruption\u201d year, when lots of typically northern-dwelling birds are seen in large numbers in areas south […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":15005,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[6,158],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14999","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","category-take-5"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/12\/5919Patricia_Cully29649-2.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-3TV","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12007,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/an-epic-winter-for-nomadic-finches\/","url_meta":{"origin":14999,"position":0},"title":"An Epic Winter For Nomadic Finches","author":"William Freedberg","date":"December 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Every few winters, several bird species abandon their normal wintering areas to our northwest, and move into Massachusetts by the thousands. While distantly related, redpolls, siskins, and grosbeaks all rely on food sources that go through boom and bust cycles, peaking and crashing every 3-6 years. When conifer and birch\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Evening Grosbeak \u00a9 MDF (CC BY-SA 3.0)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Coccothraustes-vespertinus-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Coccothraustes-vespertinus-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Coccothraustes-vespertinus-001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Coccothraustes-vespertinus-001.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2018\/12\/Coccothraustes-vespertinus-001.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14894,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/siskins-and-grosbeaks-and-purple-finches-oh-my\/","url_meta":{"origin":14999,"position":1},"title":"Siskins and Grosbeaks and Purple Finches, Oh My!","author":"William Freedberg","date":"November 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Most bird species overwinter in the same general area from year to year. Not so with some finches. Around eight species of winter finch become nomadic in winter, sometimes crossing the continent in search of food. One reason these birds don\u2019t stick to an annual pattern is the annually shifting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pine Siskin. Photo \u00a9 Terri Nicker","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/2664Terri_Nickerson20176.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/2664Terri_Nickerson20176.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/2664Terri_Nickerson20176.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/2664Terri_Nickerson20176.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1154,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/birding-after-migration\/","url_meta":{"origin":14999,"position":2},"title":"Birding After Migration","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"November 15, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"We have turned the seasonal corner. The swallows are gone, the egrets have fled, and \u00a0shorebirds and warblers have pushed their way south. You may well ask, \u201cWhat do we do we look for now?\u201d In many ways, Massachusetts is perfectly suited for winter birding, thanks in part to our\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Nature Notes"","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/11\/purple-sandpiper_Richard-Johnson-and-Mass-Audubon.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4443,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/take-5-white-breasted-nuthatch\/","url_meta":{"origin":14999,"position":3},"title":"Take 5: White-Breasted Nuthatch","author":"Hillary T.","date":"December 1, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The white-breasted nuthatch may be considered a common winter bird, but it is far from ordinary. While many Massachusetts birds cling and crawl on the trunks of trees, only curious little nuthatches descend trees head-first. Learn more about these species and enjoy these five photographs from the photo contest archive.","rel":"","context":"In "Take 5"","block_context":{"text":"Take 5","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/take-5\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/12\/MeyerFranklin2010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/12\/MeyerFranklin2010.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/12\/MeyerFranklin2010.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14039,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/birds-to-look-for-during-bird-at-home-a-thon\/","url_meta":{"origin":14999,"position":4},"title":"Birds to Look For During Bird-at-home-a-thon","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"May 14, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"While this year\u2019s\u00a0Bird-a-thon\u00a0has shifted focus to birding closer to home and around your neighborhood, you can still find\u00a0tons of\u00a0exciting birds. Some birds are common in many habitats, like Northern Cardinals and American Robins,\u00a0but\u00a0here\u00a0is\u00a0a list of other feathered friends you are likely to see (or hear!) in habitats\u00a0across\u00a0Massachusetts along with some\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Involved"","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Burds you can see in an urban setting","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/Urban_photos.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/Urban_photos.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/Urban_photos.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/05\/Urban_photos.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2092,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/great-bird-migration-spots\/","url_meta":{"origin":14999,"position":5},"title":"Great Bird Migration Spots","author":"Hillary T.","date":"April 20, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s the event that bird watchers around the state have been waiting for: spring migration, the time of year when birds leave their winter grounds and head north. Typically, spring migration in Massachusetts lasts from early March to early June, with the peak usually falling sometime around Mother\u2019s Day for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Get Outdoors"","block_context":{"text":"Get Outdoors","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-outdoors\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2013\/04\/2-warbler-2-IMG_7245_ni_pwp.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14999","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14999"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15007,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14999\/revisions\/15007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}