Hoarders Prepare for Winter

Most people have seen squirrels hoarding acorns and other nuts as winter approaches. But did you know that many birds are also hoarders?

The White-breasted Nuthatch, seen in these photos, is an accomplished hoarder. Birdfeeders are emptied quickly in the fall, as hoarders remove one seed at a time and stash it for a winter meal. Nuthatches are known for walking up and down tree trunks, so it is no surprise that they like to hide seeds under bark or lichen.

Nuthatches aren't the only birds that hoard supplies. Blue Jays, chickadees, and Tufted Titmice are all saving seeds, too. Blue Jays will 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.