You can learn much about the various species of birds that visit your feeders by taking the time to watch them. Take the white-breasted nuthatch, for example.

       If you watch them often enough, you will notice you rarely see more than two white-breasted nuthatches at your feeders at the same time.  In most cases, the reason for this is each pair of white-breasted nuthatches defends their territories throughout the year. It is not uncommon to find these territories are 20 to 30 acres in size. As such, if other white-breasted nuthatches trying to dine on the sunflower seeds or suet offered at your feeders the pair will vigorously try to chase them away.

       About the only times that you will spot three or four white-breasted nuthatches at your feeder is during the nesting seasons fledglings may dine at feeders; or when your feeders are located near the border of another pair of white-breasted nuthatches.

       One the amazing things about these territories are we cannot see where one territory ends and another begins.   However, the birds sure know where the boundaries of their unseen territories are located.