Why the nuthatch walks upside down on trees

White-breasted Nuthatches may be small but their voices are loud and their insistent nasal laughing song will lead you right to them. Click HERE to listen.

Their foraging behavior also makes this a rather easy bird to identify. The White-breasted Nuthatch is able to move head-first down trees to forage for insects on trunks of trees. 

Their long, strong toes and short tails allow them to climb up, down and sideways around tree trunks and branches looking for tasty morsels tucked into bark crevasses. This gives them an advantage to spot prey hidden from woodpeckers and creepers which can only head up trees to forage for food.

The White-breasted Nuthatch is a year round resident in mid-Michigan and often visits bird feeders for sunflower seeds, nuts, suet, and mealworms.

Related Articles:

• Bird of the week: Red-breasted Nuthatch http://bit.ly/sXqKVH
• Fascinating Nuthatch Nesting Behavior http://bit.ly/s4MWlV
• Red-breasted or red-bellied? Who establishes bird names in the US? http://bit.ly/v2kVTV
• Fun Facts on Nuthatches http://sheabirdno1.blogspot.com/2011/12/fun-facts-on-nuthatches.html