Nuthatches also eat suet. Whether taken from carrion in the woods or a feeder in the yard, animal fat supplies precious energy on cold winter nights. Nuthatches often illustrate their skills by dangling upside down from a suet basket as they feed.
White breasted nuthatches live all year in hickory forests, wooded parks and backyards. Watch for them in any hardwood locality. Don't be amazed to see its similarly acrobatic four inch cousin, the Red Breasted Nuthatch, a winter guest from farther north. Red breasts nest in coniferous forests and venture south in the autumn to open deciduous forests and backyards. Here they eat sunflower seeds and suet. You can distinguish red breasted from the white breasted nuthatch by their lesser size, reddish stomachs, and an impressive black eye liner topped by a white eye brow band.
If you spot an unusual acrobat at your feeder this winter, chances are you're watching a nuthatch. You will find it is one of the friendliest and most charming visitor.
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