Two White-Breasted Nuthatch Nestling Release

Cedar Run’s Wildlife Rehabilitaton Hospital admits many songbirds throughout the summer months. In mid-May we admitted two White-breasted Nuthatch nestlings! While they came into us mostly fully-feathered they were still too small to be out of the nest.

 

They spent time in our incubator being fed a diet specific for insectivores. Nuthatches eat a diet of insects, including those pesky stinkbugs! You can often see them running sideways or upside down on trees probing holes in the bark for food!

Release Video: Baby Nuthatch Release 2022

Once they were old enough to move out of our incubator as fledglings (teenage birds) they were given more space to flutter and build up their wing strength for flight. After approximately three weeks they were ready for release! They were taken to an appropriate habitat and set free as seen in the video below!

Songbird babies grow rapidly, which means that they require very specific nutrition to ensure that their bones, muscles, and feathers develop properly. Inappropriate diets can have extreme and sometimes lethal consequences. Even a few days of an improper diet can do irreparable damage. Please leave this job to licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators who know what each species needs to survive, as it varies depending on their natural diets.

To learn more about these song birds and to hear their songs click the link: Learn More

If you have questions regarding native New Jersey wildlife, please call our Wildlife Hospital at 856-983-3329 ext. 107.