Habitat
In Alaska, occurs in the boreal forests zone. Primarily breeds in mature and diverse stands of spruce, fir, larch, and cedar (Tyler 1948, Simpson 1976, Adams and Morrison 1993, Harrap and Quinn 1996, Campbell et al. 1997). Excavates own nest in tree snags and rarely uses existing cavities or nest boxes (Ghalambor and Martin 1999). In the Yukon, seldom observed outside of spruce-dominated or mixed forest, and is primarily at lower elevations. Frequents bird feeders in the winter (Alexander et al. 2003).
References
Adams, E. M. and M. L. Morrison. 1993. Effects of forest stand structure and composition on Red- breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers. Journal of Wildlife Management 57:616-629.
Alexander, S. A., F. I. Doyle, C. D. Ecker, H. Grünberg, N. L. Hughes, M. Jensen, I. Johnson, D. H. Mossop, W. A. Nixon, and P. H. Sinclair. 2003. Birds of the Yukon Territory (P. H. Sinclair, W. A. Nixon, C. D. Eckert, and N. L. Hughes, eds.). UBC Press, Vancouver, B.C.
Campbell, R. W., N. K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J. M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser, M. C. E. McNall, and G. E. J. Smith. 1997. The Birds of British Columbia. Volume 3. Passerines: flycatchers through vireos. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver. 693 pages.
Ghalambor, C. K. and T. E. Martin. 1999. Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). In The Birds of North America. Vol. 7, No. 459 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists’ Union.
Harrap, S. and D. Quinn. 1996. Chickadees, tits, nuthatches, and treecreepers. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.
Simpson, M. B., Jr. 1976. Breeding season habitat and distribution of the Red-breasted Nuthatch in the southern Blue Ridge Mountain province. Chat 40:23-25.
Tyler, W. M. 1948. Red-breasted Nuthatch. Pp. 22-35 in Life histories of North American nuthatches, wrens, thrashers, and their allies (A. C. Bent, ed.). U. S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 195.
