Nuthatches first appeared in written logs in the 14th century. They are a common bird in the United States and Canada. They live in older forests and nest in cavities abandoned by woodpeckers. They'll line the nest with hair, bark, feathers and even grass. The White-Breasted Nuthatch is 5 to 6 inches long with grayish blue feathers on the back and white feathers on the breast.
Males have shiny black crowns while females are a duller black or gray.
In summer, they live alone or in pairs and are a rare visitor to the bird feeder. Oh, they do still enjoy seeds, but their main diet in summer is insects and spiders which they pluck from the bark of trees. That's why they don't frequent my summer feeder. They are content to stay in the woods and forage for bugs. In winter, Nuthatches often travel in packs and since few bugs are available, they'll gladly swoop down to the feeder for a sunflower seed.