Red-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted NuthatchRed-breasted NuthatchRed-breasted NuthatchRed-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · With luck
overall probability at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
639 Verified records at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) is a small songbird. The adult has blue-grey upperparts with cinnamon underparts, a white throat and face with a black stripe through the eyes, a straight grey bill and a black crown. Its call, which has been likened to a tin trumpet, is high-pitched and nasal. It breeds in coniferous forests across Canada, Alaska and the northeastern and western United States. Though often a permanent resident, it regularly irrupts further south if its food supply fails. There are records of vagrants occurring as far south as the Gulf Coast and northern Mexico. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-breasted Nuthatch sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 639 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

White-breasted Nuthatch
LC Endemic

White-breasted Nuthatch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sitta carolinensis

30–40% · Possible
Brown-headed Nuthatch
LC Endemic

Brown-headed Nuthatch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sitta pusilla

<5% · Rare
American Crow
LC

American Crow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus brachyrhynchos

70–80% · Very likely
Northern Cardinal
LC Endemic

Northern Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

70–80% · Very likely
Carolina Wren
LC

Carolina Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thryothorus ludovicianus

70–80% · Very likely
Carolina Chickadee
LC Endemic

Carolina Chickadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Poecile carolinensis

70–80% · Very likely
American Robin
LC Endemic

American Robin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus migratorius

60–70% · Likely
Tufted Titmouse
LC

Tufted Titmouse

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Baeolophus bicolor

60–70% · Likely
Blue Jay
LC

Blue Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cyanocitta cristata

50–60% · Likely
Song Sparrow
LC Endemic

Song Sparrow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melospiza melodia

50–60% · Likely
American Goldfinch
LC

American Goldfinch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spinus tristis

40–50% · Likely
Eastern Phoebe
LC

Eastern Phoebe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sayornis phoebe

40–50% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
5–10
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
5–10
Aug
10–20
Sep
5–10
Oct
5–10
Nov
<5
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
2 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
3 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
4 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
5 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
6 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
7 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
40–50%
8 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
30–40%
9 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
10 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
11 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
12 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
13 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
14 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
15 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
16 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
17 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
18 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
19 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
20 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
21 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
22 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
23 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
24 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
25 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
26 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
27 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
5–10%
28 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
29 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
31 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
32 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
34 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
36 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
37 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
38 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
39 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
40 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Red-breasted Nuthatch in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

About 9% of wildlife watchers report a Red-breasted Nuthatch sighting in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, based on 639 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Red-breasted Nuthatch in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Red-breasted Nuthatch in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in our monthly data.

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