The Red-breasted Nuthatch is widespread throughout Canada's coniferous and mixed-coniferous forests, with a range that spans the country from the east coast to the west coast. The species undergoes irruptive movements and follows cone production and insect outbreaks. Results from the Breeding Bird Survey and the Christmas Bird Count demonstrate wide year-to-year fluctuations, but overall, a substantial increase in the national population since 1970.
With an increasing population, there are currently no major conservation concerns for Red-breasted Nuthatch in Canada. However, as a species considered to be a weak excavator, it requires "soft" snags and may be vulnerable to logging practices that do not preserve them (Ghalambor and Martin 1999). The species' increase in abundance has been linked to outbreaks of bark beetle and high densities of Downy Woodpeckers, which increase the abundance of secondary tree cavities (Norris and Martin 2010).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.