White Breasted Nuthatch acting strange (1 Viewer)

[riverdivina]

Yesterday my daughter came in and announced there was a bird on the walk outside our house. I went out to look and it was a white-breasted nuthatch and appeared un-uninjured but it had one eye closed and was acting sleepy. I put it in a carboard box and after awhile it started to perk up a little and opened it's closed eye. I took it out and put in on the tree next to the bird feeder and it just hung on there for about twenty minutes until it seemed to "snap out of it" and climed up the tree and flew off. Today it was back and it was feeding on the ground with the squirrel- hopping about like a sparrow. That seemed very strange, I have never seen a nuthatch hop around on the ground like that before! The little red-breasted nuthatches go down and grab seeds and take them back up the tree. I wonder if there is something wrong with that white-breasted nuthatch like maybe it flew into a window and got brain damage or something.

 

[steveo]

It is very well possible that it flew into a window and was just dazed. This happens often and the bird usually recovers in 15 minutes. Keep an eye on this nuthatch it may be sick or have an infection. This can happen if your feeders are'nt cleaned regularly with a bleach water dillution 1 cup bleach to a gallon water is more than strong enough.

 

[amkid247]

ive experienced a white breasted nuthatch eat under my feeder, just a few days ago, one of the two who visit me hopped off the feeder to "graze" underneath it like a sparrow, i was confused lol

 

[riverdivina]

Thanks I will do that.

 

[riverdivina]

Other then the hopping on the ground the White-breasted nuthatch seems normal now. I've only seen one at our feeder so I assume it is the same bird. I took a picture of it when it looked ill and after it recovered and I will try to post them- I'm not sure how to post pictures yet. I will still clean out the feeders though.