Beak of the Week – Brown-headed Nuthatch

Brown-headed Nuthatches are tiny nuthatches native to pine forests of the southeastern United States. Their range extends from southern Maryland and Delaware through southern Florida, extending westward into eastern Texas. They are blue-gray above and whiteish below with dark brown caps. Like other nuthatches, they have a tendency to climb head first down tree trunks. During the summer they primarily eat insects and spiders, shifting their diet to pine seeds during the winter. Brown-headed Nuthatches are rather unique amongst songbirds in that they are known to occasionally use tools– individuals will use pieces of bark held in their bills to flake off other pieces of bark in search of insects or spiders hiding underneath.

These are social and chatty birds, and their squeaky, high-pitched calls sound remarkably like a toy rubber duck! Breeding pairs will often have “helpers” that assist with territory defense and bringing food to the female while she’s incubating the eggs. These helpers are generally young male birds, and tend to be the primary breeding pair’s offspring from the previous breeding season.

Because of their reliance on pine forests and standing dead trees, unsustainable logging practices and fire suppression both negatively impact the amount and quality of habitat available to Brown-headed Nuthatches. They thrive best in mature pine forests, with occasional fires that create an open understory and standing dead trees for them to nest in. Brown-headed Nuthatches can be found at various locations in and around Houston, including Sam Houston National Forest, Alexander Deussen Park, and Mitchell Nature Preserve.