Sitta carolinensis
Silhouette: Alan and Elaine Wilson (Modified) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring approximately 15.5 cm (6.1 in) in length. Coloration varies somewhat along the species' range, but the upperparts are light blue-gray, with a black crown and nape in males, while females have a dark gray crown. The underparts are whitish, with a reddish tinge on the lower abdomen. Despite not being closely related, the white-breasted nuthatch and the white wagtail are very similar in plumage.
The white-breasted nuthatch is a chatty bird. It has a nasal voice and often utters little cries or vocalizations, often composed of repetitions of small invariant whistles. In summer, it is an exclusively insectivorous bird, consuming a wide range of arthropods, but in winter its diet consists mainly of seeds. The nest is located in the cavity of a tree. The clutch consists of five to nine eggs, incubated for two weeks by the female, who is fed by the male. The two adults then feed the young until they fledge, and for a few weeks after that.
The white-breasted nuthatch breeds throughout much of North America, except in the cooler and drier areas. It is mainly found at low elevations, in deciduous forests or in mixed woodlands. Seven to nine subspecies are generally distinguished by their slightly distinct distributions, vocalizations, and coloration. The species was once thought to be related to the white-cheeked nuthatch (S leucopsis) and Przewalski's nuthatch (S. przewalskii), two species from southern Asia, but is actually more closely related to the giant nuthatch (S. magna), also from Southeast Asia. Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a White-breasted Nuthatch sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 279 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 109th most-seen of the 270 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a White-breasted Nuthatch in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September and November–March, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White-breasted Nuthatch sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
16th of 27
Of the 27 parks where we can rate White-breasted Nuthatch sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 16th at about 10%. The best odds are in Shenandoah National Park (United States, about 60%), Grand Canyon National Park (United States, about 50%) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White-breasted Nuthatch is recorded against all the birds logged in Big Bend National Park (279 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
