Fauna Flora Photography

Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis

Red-breasted Nuthatch is one of the two Nuthatch species seen around Montreal. Energetic, acrobatic small bird feeding on conifer seeds in winter and insects in summer.

Specs

Length13-15cm
Weight10-14g
Wingspan20cm

Common Names

GermanKanadakleiber
EnglishRed-breasted Nuthatch
FrenchSittelle à poitrine rousse
SpanishTrepador canadiense

Taxonomy

OrderPasseriformes
FamilySittidae
SpeciesSitta canadensis

How to Identify

Two characteristics allow to distinguish this species from them more common White-breasted Nuthatch. First, the Red-breasted Nuthatch belly's is reddish and secondly, the bird has a black stripe from the beak over the eye to the neck. It is an acrobatic bird able to walk head down on tree trunks and on the bottom of branches.

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) - Jardin Botanique de Montréal - 2019-02-17
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) - Granby - 2017-07-22

Where and When to Spot

In Montreal The Red-breasted Nuthatch is rarer than the White-breasted Nuthatch. The only sighting in Montreal occured in winter in Montreal Botanical Garden.

Last updated on 2023-12-15. Written and regularly updated by Karl-Heinz Müller, Dipl. Natw. ETH, Biology. With 10 years of experience in wildlife photography, Karl-Heinz shares first-hand, on-site collected observations, photos and videos from his frequent visits to parks in the Montreal area.