Swamp Stomp
Volume 14, Issue 8
With the development of new forestry short rotation techniques there has arisen a new concern about the brown headed nuthatch. These little guys live in mature pine forests and their habitat is declining. Changes in harvest practices, selling forest land off for development and other pressures have reduced the numbers of acres of pine forest that the nuthatch needs to survive.
The brown headed nuthatch is the least common nuthatch in North America. Its range is limited to the southeast extending from southern Virginia south to central Florida and west to east Texas. It prefers softwoods like loblolly or long leaf pine forests.
This nuthatch has a few peculiarities. It uses tools! It will use a piece of bark to pry up another piece of bark to search for food. It will often carry this “tool” from tree to tree. It will also hide its seed cache with a piece of bark.
The brown headed nuthatch and the pine warbler have a sort of Hatfield’s and McCoy’s battle going on in the pine forest. Both species are competing for the same habit and food. Flocks of nuthatches will attack the warblers. But don’t worry the warblers will fight back. This battle has been going on for thousands of years.
We need your help and we are willing to pay you for it! We are holding another contest and more details are at the end of this article.
If you live in the southeast could you build a bird box for these guys? For about $3 in lumber you can make one in about an hour. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has a great set of design plans that you can download for free.
You will need one (1) 1”x6”x4’ piece of lumber and a few screws and a 6 penny nail. I do have a couple of suggestions on the lumber. Do not use pressure treated lumber. It contains some pretty nasty salts that will harm the bird. Pine is the natural habitat for this bird. It is cheap and easy to find. The downside is that it will probably only last 2 or three seasons before it rots away. Rough cut pine is ideal as it simulates the natural nest cavity this bird is looking for. If you use this, the board you buy will actually be 1”x6” as opposed to the milled lumber that is ½” smaller. You do not need to trim the board down to use the design plans. The house will just be a bit wider and I am sure the nuthatch will appreciate the extra space. If you want a really cool house, try to find a piece of pine with the bark still on it and use that for the front piece.
Don’t forget to pre-drill the screw holes. The lumber is thin and will split if you do not have pilot holes.
There is a really important aspect to the nuthatch design. The front opening needs to be a round hole that is 1 ¼” in diameter. If the hole is too big the bluebirds will move in. This design is basically the same as a bluebird house with a slightly smaller opening. As an alternative to building a house yourself you can buy a bluebird house and make a nuthatch adapter by placing a piece of wood with a smaller hole drilled into it over the existing hole in the house. I have also seen a piece of tin or copper used this way. Just be sure there are no sharp edges.
Lastly, please do not paint the house. The nuthatches are looking for tree cavities and you want to simulate these. Save the ornate painting for the bluebirds. They are the splashy ones.
The box should be mounted about 5 feet or more above the ground on a tree. Again, the house needs to look like a tree cavity. I have seen some on posts, but it should look like a small tree. You can mount the box higher if you like. The nuthatches will nest upwards of 50 feet off the ground.
I f you want to keep up with the sightings of the brown headed nuthatch, ebird has a really nice tracking map. They include hot spots and personal locations. There is also an iPhone app that is pretty cool for keeping up with all of the birds in your area.
We have decided to run another Facebook photo contest. You can win a $10 Amazon Gift Card by entering a picture of one of the following categories:
- A brown headed nuthatch you have seen (original pictures only – no ripping them off the internet)
- A picture of the birdhouse you built or bought (It has to be a nuthatch house!)
- A picture of you attempting to build a bird house (not all attempts are successful so we wanted to give those that are carpentry challenged a chance)
- Non- southeast birdhouse. If you are not in the brown headed nuthatch region, send in a picture of a birdhouse you have made. Be sure to include the name of bird you are trying to help.
Each category will be awarded a gift card. The winner will be selected by popular vote, so once you enter encourage your friends and family to vote for you picture.
Have a great week!
– Marc