Red-breasted nuthatch

Red-breasted nuthatch photographed in Manitoba

The red-breasted nuthatch is a small, energetic bird with a black eye stripe, a white eyebrow, and a warm rusty-orange belly. Its call is a tiny, nasal beep that sounds like a toy horn, and it can often be heard before it is seen, working along the trunk of a spruce or pine.

Like all nuthatches, it climbs down tree trunks headfirst. It has an unusual habit when nesting: it smears sticky tree resin around the entrance to its cavity, possibly to keep out predators and competitors. It is common in Manitoba’s coniferous and mixed forests, and in some years, when cone crops are poor in the north, many move south and show up at feeders.

Curious about the red-breasted nuthatch and its habitat? Learn more on its page at All About Birds.

Here are some of my favourite frames of this bird.

Field notes in photographs

  • Red-breasted nuthatch photographed in Manitoba, 1
  • Red-breasted nuthatch photographed in Manitoba, 2
  • Red-breasted nuthatch photographed in Manitoba, 3
  • Red-breasted nuthatch perched on a bare branch against a soft green background, Manitoba
  • Red-breasted nuthatch perched on a frosty crabapple branch as snow falls, Manitoba
  • Red-breasted nuthatch perched on a diagonal dark metal rod against a green background
  • Red-breasted nuthatch on a snowy crabapple branch with red fruit as snow falls

Red-breasted nuthatch Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the red-breasted nuthatch in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the red-breasted nuthatch nests, lives year-round, and spends the winter, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the red-breasted nuthatch in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Plains (gold), living year-round in the Boreal Shield (teal), and wintering in the Prairies (blue). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

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