Sitta canadensis

(Red-Breasted Nuthatch)

Conservation Status

Population Analysis

For the 54,687 species in the Class Aves (Birds), we average 143.07 observations each in our database; for the Red-Breasted Nuthatch, we have 23,915 observations. Compared to other species in this Class, this species is extremely common.
A two-sample t-test can be used to determine whether the trend in observations of the Red-Breasted Nuthatch is the same as the trend in observations of Aves. Is this species just as common, as a proportion of all observations, as it once was? The answer is yes, changes in observation rate of this species do not significantly differ from changes in observation rate of its Class.

Status

This species is fairly common in appropriate habitat and is not listed as Threatened or Endangered in any part of its southeastern range.

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia Linnaeus, 1758 - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
  - Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
    - Branch: Deuterostomia Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
      - Infrakingdom: Chordonia (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
        Phylum: Chordata Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
        Subphylum: Vertebrata Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
        Infraphylum: Gnathostomata auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
        Superclass: Tetrapoda Goodrich, 1930 - Tetrapods
        Series: Amniota
        Class: Aves Linnaeus, 1758 - Birds
        Subclass: Neornithes Gadow, 1893
        Infraclass: Neoaves
        Superorder: Passerimorphae
        Order: Passeriformes Linnaeus, 1758 - Perching Birds
        Suborder: Passeri
        Superfamily: Sylvioidea
        Family: Sittidae - Nuthatches
        Subfamily: Sittinae
        Genus: Sitta Linnaeus, 1758 - Nuthatches
        Specific name: canadensis Linnaeus, 1766
        Scientific name: Sitta canadensis Linnaeus, 1766

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Physical Description

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Family Sittidae:

A family of small passerine birds in 23 species. Most live in the woods, and all can run down trees head first. Nuthatches featuresbig heads, short tails, and powerful bills and feet. They are omnivorous.

Adult Female:

Head: Crown: dark gray Neck: Nape: dark gray Body: Flanks: rusty buff Underparts: light buff Upperparts: blue-gray Tail: Crissum: rusty buff.

Adult Male:

Head: Cap: black Face: Cheeks: white Eyebrow Line: white Eyeline: black from beak to back of head Neck: Nape: black Body: Back: blue-gray Rump: blue-gray Underparts: rust Tail: blue-gray Length: short.

Color:

Under parts mostly rust colored; top of head black; black eye stripe; sides and bottom of head white; back and wings variable charcoal gray. All of the birds in this family are commonly seen climbing up, down, and around tree trunks and branches.

Size/Age/Growth:

About 4.5 inches long, with a wingspan of 8 to 8 inches. Adults weigh about 0.4 ounces.

Images:

Sitta canadensis Sitta canadensis Red-breasted Nuthatch Juvenile and Adult in Hand Photographer: Donna A. Dewhurst Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Source: http://images.fws.gov/ Permissions for Use: See here. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 73346

Sitta canadensis Sitta canadensis Photographer: Dave Menke Credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Source: http://images.fws.gov/ Permissions for Use: See here. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 73345

Sitta canadensis Sitta canadensis ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 67665

Sitta canadensis Sitta canadensis Adult(s) Photographer: Terry Spivey
Location Taken: United States Copyright: © Terry Spivey. Permissions for Use: see www.ForestryImages.org. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 173286

Sitta canadensis Sitta canadensis Photographer: David Stang Date Taken: February 05, 2007
Location Taken: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History Copyright: © 2007 David Stang ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 211337

Sitta canadensis Sitta canadensis Photographer: Marcus G. Martin Copyright: © Marcus G. Martin Permissions for Use: see here. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 104191

Distribution

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Range and Population

North America

Habitat

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Spruce-fir forests are the preferred habitat of this nuthatch, but other coniferous forests may also fill this requirement.

Vegetation: tropical lowland evergreen forest, pine forests • Minimum Elevation: 0 meters • Maximum Elevation: 1,000 meters • Foraging Strata: Canopy • Center of Abundance: Lower subtropical: lowlands, lower than 500 m.; subtropics. • Relative Abundance in Tropical America: Uncommon • Sensitivity to Disturbance: Medium.

Diet

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The diet of this nuthatch includes mostly insects and spiders, although during the winter some conifer seeds may be eaten. The food is found by searching the trunks and branches of trees.

Reproduction

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The breeding season begins in mid-May and extends to mid-June. Preferred nesting habitat is conifer or mixed conifer forest. The nest is commonly 1.5-12 m (5-40 feet) high. This adaptable species nests in a naturally occurring cavity, excavates its own cavity, uses an abandoned woodpecker cavity, or occasionally uses nest boxes. The female lays 4-7 (usually 5-6) eggs that she incubates for 12 days. The male feeds the incubating female. The young are altricial and fledge 14-21 days after hatching. The juveniles are fed for a short period after leaving the nest.

Breeding Habitat: Woodland
Nest Location: Mid-story/canopy nesting
Nest Type: Cavity
Clutch Size: 4-7
Length of Incubation: 12 days
Days to Fledge: 14-21

Migration

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Some migrate

Song/Voice

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The call of this species is a high-pitched, nasal yank.

Sitta canadensis
Recordist: Doug Von Gausig Copyright Holder: NatureSongs.com Permissions for Use: Read this

Sitta canadensis
Recordist: Doug Von Gausig Date Recorded: June 06, 1999 Location of Recording: Mingus Mountain, central Arizona Copyright Holder: NatureSongs.com Permissions for Use: Read this

Sitta canadensis
Recordist: John R. Sauer Copyright Holder: John R. Sauer Permissions for Use: See here.

Similar Species

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White-Breasted Nuthatch

Members of the genus Sitta:

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors:

Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 19, 2006. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 12 providers.
Hines, J. E., Gregory Gough, J. R. Sauer, et al. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Parker III, T.A., D.F. Stotz, and J.W. Fitzpatrick, and quot;Ecological and Distributional Databases for Neotropical Birds, and quot; in Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation, by D.F. Stotz, T.A. Parker III, J.W. Fitzpatrick, and D.K. Moskovits (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996). ISBN 0-226-64676-9.
Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2004. Version 2005.2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD

Identifiers:

Integrated Taxonomic Information System Serial Number: 178784
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 240272
Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: ABPAZ01010
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 287

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Last Revised: February 21, 2008