16 Nebraskaland • January-February 2019
PHOTO
BY
JUSTIN
HAAG
THE RED-BREASTEDS ARE HERE
Red-breasted nuthatches are favorite feeder birds for many
people – they are cute, colorful, active and entertaining. In
Nebraska, they are winter visitors mostly, although there are
small breeding populations in areas with conifers in northern
and western Nebraska, most notably the Pine Ridge.
Surprisingly, there are nesting records in the southeast for
Seward and Douglas counties and nesting may also have
occurred in Lancaster County.
This species is the only North American nuthatch that
regularly stages mass movements away from its breeding
range, usually due to diminished food supplies. Because of
this propensity for long-distance movements, it is the only
North American nuthatch to have made it as a vagrant
across the Atlantic Ocean. An indication of the magnitude
such movements can attain in parts of North America are
counts reaching 1,000 per day in Quebec. Occasionally, large
numbers show up during Nebraska winters, such events often
being referred to as "invasions," "incursions" or "irruptions."
It looks as though we are experiencing such an event
this winter. There have been many reports of red-breasted
nuthatches at feeders and in pine groves earlier during fall.
The fi rst arrivals this fall in eastern Nebraska were on
time for most winters: single birds were in Douglas and
Dodge Counties on Sept. 6-7. However, numbers climbed
rapidly; eight were at Holmes Lake in Lincoln the next day.
Since then, six to eight have been at Holmes Lake, when in
most winters one or two are found there. In Douglas County,
the best count so far is eight – at feeders on Monroe Street,
Omaha in November, and in Sarpy County, fi ve were at the
Fontenelle Forest feeders in October.
In western Nebraska, numbers have been impressive
at feeders in or near pines. As many as 12 were at the Croft
family feeders nestled among ponderosa pines at the base of
the Wildcat Hills mid-October, and up to nine are attending
the feeders at the nearby Wildcat Hills Visitor Center. The best
counts usually occur in November and are in the range 13-16.
As the winter plays out it will be interesting to see if these
rather amazing numbers continue, or gradually decline
through the coldest weeks. Sometimes in spring there is a
return movement that may be detected over and above local
feeder numbers. Spring high counts usually occur in early
May. We'll be watching.
Visit the Birds of Nebraska –
Online (Birdsofnebraska.org) for
more information on Nebraska
birds.
By W. Ross Silcock
IN THE FIELD
