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Manatee County

Audubon Society

Brown-headed Nuthatch

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Name

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Scientific Name

(Sitta pusilla)

Why they are special:
  • A tiny, energetic woodland bird that is a specialty of Florida’s pine forests.

  • Known for its acrobatic behavior, hopping headfirst down tree trunks and peeling bark in search of insects.

  • Often forms small “nuthatch family groups”, with juveniles sometimes helping parents feed the next brood.

Size and color:
  • Small songbird, 4–4.5 inches long with a wingspan of 7–9 inches.

  • Grayish-blue back and wings, pale underparts, and a distinctive brown cap on the head.

  • Short tail and small, pointed bill.

Seasonality in Florida:
  • Year-round resident, primarily in longleaf and slash pine habitats.

Habitat:
  • Open pine flatwoods, pine savannas, and mature pine forests.

  • Often found in trees with mature bark where insects are plentiful.

Diet:
  • Feed mainly on insects, spiders, and pine seeds.

  • Will store seeds in bark crevices for later consumption.

Behavior:
  • Active and social; often seen in small flocks outside of breeding season.

  • Nests in tree cavities, sometimes excavated by themselves or taken over from woodpeckers.

 

Conservation notes:
  • Populations are generally stable, but depend on fire-maintained pine habitats.

  • Benefit from prescribed burns that maintain open understory and healthy pines.

Best time to see:
  • Year-round, particularly in mature pine forests of northern and central Florida.

Fun Fact:
  • Brown-headed Nuthatches are one of the few songbirds that use cooperative breeding, with older offspring helping parents raise younger chicks!

 

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