A white-breasted nuthatch collects safflower seeds from my feeder.
The white-breasted nuthatch, seen in these photos, is an accomplished hoarder. Nuthatches empty feeders quickly in the fall, removing one seed at a time and stashing it for a winter meal. They’re known for walking up and down tree trunks, so it is no surprise that they like to hide seeds under bark or lichen.
The white-breasted nuthatch stores its seed for winter, often under bark.
Nuthatches aren’t the only birds that hoard supplies. Blue jays, chickadees, and tufted titmice save seeds, too. Blue jays may stash several thousand acorns, burying each one within its territory.
Birds that cache food have excellent spatial memory, and are quite good at retrieving their stored seeds when needed.
