While strolling through Elliston Park in the east side of Calgary this spring, Elaine spotted a red-breasted nuthatch that was extremely absorbed in industrial activity. Well known for traveling in any direction almost simultaneously on a tree, this petite, short-necked, almost tail-less, energy-injected 4.3 inch dynamo, was engaged in a construction project. Moving in and out of an increasingly deeper, freshly created cavity in a tree, the nuthatch, likely thinking about an amorous relationship and the making of a new family, had our rapt attention.
Having a coffee after our birding session that early afternoon, I wondered about the incredible effort it must take to hammer a hole with a bill into a tree and maintain a high energy level in order to complete construction. Both sexes share the work in creating that hollow, with the female taking a dominating role. As we watched the nuthatch moving from head down to bottoms up and then reversing its direction to get rid of the wood chips, this marvel of motion went to work. Excavation of a suitable nesting site can take up to eighteen days, with the depth of the excavation reaching to eight inches. Once completed, the female lines the nest with soft materials including shredded bark, fine grasses, hair and feathers. The finishing touches, completed by both sexes, is to “install” a spruce resin layer around the entrance of the nesting cavity, sometimes using a piece of bark as a tool to spread the resin. Some ornithologists believe the resin is applied to deter insects and other birds from entering the nest. The parents will flight straight into the nest cavity to avoid contact with the resin. This resin is refreshed until the young have fledged, the young numbering up to seven in the largest families, for a period of up to three weeks. Those weeks are busy for both parents, bringing back delectable insects to feed the rapidly growing young. Once fledged, the juvenile nuthatches stick with the parents for several weeks after being able to fly.Now of course, to get a mate the male nuthatch must use a little courtship. The routines in nuthatch courtship include the male turning his back toward the female, raising his head, dropping his wings and swaying from side to side. If this isn’t overwhelming enough, the male provides a nutritious buffet of bugs for his potential lady-friend. We must also remember, the female nuthatch does most of the nest cavity construction, so there has to be something in it for her.
As the weeks pass, Elaine and I will watch the nest site and hope that a new, hearty and healthy generation of red-breasted nuthatches join their parents in the great challenge of survival over the coming years.
