This week’s #SpeciesOfTheWeek is the White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), a bird you’ve probably seen hanging out at your birdfeeder this winter! These birds are quite common in North America, and along with Black-capped Chickadees, are very likely to come close to humans looking for bird seed. Apart from seeds, nuthatches eat nuts that they store in the fall and forage for insects along tree trunks and branches. They have a distinct behaviour while foraging, moving from the top to the bottom of a trunk head-first. Nuthatches nest in tree cavities, and have an interesting method for deterring squirrels… they smear insects around the entrance! Nuthatches are non-migratory and prefer mature woodlands and edge habitats. We often spot them along the Rideau Trail and Sylvan Trail and hear their low-pitched, nasally ‘wha wha wha’ song just as often. Have you ever fed one of these cute birds?