Eats mostly insects and spiders during breeding season. Also eats pine seeds in other seasons. Gleans from cones and new shoots of pines, usually high in trees. Probes and hammers cones for seeds. In winter, roosts communally in tree or snag cavity, apparently an adaptation to cold weather.
Pair excavates a nesting cavity in a snag or stump.
No additional information found. Frequents mature stands of conifers with open to dense canopy. Yearlong, diurnal activity. Mostly a resident in California. Not migratory, but there may be erratic winter dispersal.