Brown-headed Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch has edged up: up 17% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the Brown-headed Nuthatch
The Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) is a North American member of the Nuthatches (Sittidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the forest birds.
- Size
- 4–7 in long (10–18 cm) — a small tree-climbing songbird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
- Diet
- Insects and spiders gleaned from foliage and bark, with seeds and berries in season.
- Range
- Recorded on 610 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 14 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Sittidae · Forest birds
Notable Brown-headed Nuthatch Trends
No notable trend signals for Brown-headed Nuthatch. See the full index history below.
Brown-headed Nuthatch Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Brown-headed Nuthatch is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.36 (95% range 0.26–0.45). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±11.8%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.35 | 0.26 | 0.45 |
| 2026 | 0.35 | 0.26 | 0.45 |
| 2027 | 0.35 | 0.26 | 0.45 |
| 2028 | 0.36 | 0.26 | 0.45 |
| 2029 | 0.36 | 0.26 | 0.45 |
Where the Brown-headed Nuthatch Is Detected
BBS routes recording Brown-headed Nuthatch, sized by most recent count.
Brown-headed Nuthatch Population Trend by State
| Alabama | -5% | 1968 | 92 |
| Arkansas | -43% | 1970 | 25 |
| Delaware | +428% | 1978 | 5 |
| Florida | +42% | 1968 | 69 |
| Georgia | +19% | 1968 | 110 |
| Louisiana | -58% | 1969 | 52 |
| Maryland | +251% | 1968 | 12 |
| Mississippi | +159% | 1968 | 45 |
| North Carolina | +127% | 1968 | 89 |
| Oklahoma | +251% | 1971 | 9 |
| South Carolina | +26% | 1968 | 49 |
| Tennessee | +174% | 1994 | 8 |
| Texas | -8% | 1970 | 26 |
| Virginia | +40% | 1968 | 19 |
Brown-headed Nuthatch Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | -14% | 1969 | 96 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | +68% | 1968 | 301 |
| Appalachian Mountains | -19% | 1968 | 47 |
| Piedmont | +154% | 1968 | 106 |
| New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast | +246% | 1968 | 21 |
| Peninsular Florida | -30% | 1968 | 28 |
Brown-headed Nuthatch Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 16% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.