You probably have a good idea what “nuthatch” means already. That is, how it got its name.
According to the Durham Wildlife Trust (and other sources), “The name nuthatch comes from the middle English name ‘nuthak’ meaning nut hacker from its habit of wedging a nut into a crack then repeatedly bashing it with its beak to get into the soft kernel.”
So yeah, it “hatches” nuts, so to speak.
Kinda reminds me of the grackles who hack away at my peanut shells sometimes to get at the peanut inside.
Apparently they don’t rely solely on nuts though. The White-breasted Nuthatches that have visited my backyard have gone for the nyjer seeds and the sunflower mix.
