Home
Bird Guide
Bird Cams
Bird Academy
Bird ID Skills
Feeding Birds
Bird Friendly Homes
Problems
FAQs
Biology
News & Features
Videos
Get Involved

Living Bird Magazine
Membership Services
Support the Lab

All About Birds

Search

Browse all birds

Merlin Bird Graphic

Merlin Bird ID

Try our free app foriOS | AndroidWeb version coming soon!

Recently Viewed Species

Brown-headed Nuthatch Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Calls (Southeast)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Maryland, May 04, 1988Recorded by Gregory Budney | Macaulay Library
Calls (Southeast)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Florida, April 21, 1992Recorded by Geoffrey A. Keller | Macaulay Library
Calls (Southeast)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Louisiana, March 20, 1983Recorded by Ted Parker | Macaulay Library
Calls (Grand Bahama)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Freeport and West Grand Bahama, July 26, 2011Recorded by Jeff Gerbracht | Macaulay Library

Sounds provided by Macaulay Library.
Listen to more sounds of this species from the ML archive.

Songs

Brown-headed Nuthatches don't sing complicated songs, but they are plenty vocal. They make tiny squeaks that sound like a toy rubber ducky being squeezed. These wheezy 2-syllable notes emanate from the treetops year-round. They repeat each squeak 1–12 times. Although not loud by themselves, other members of the group usually join in to amplify the sound.

Calls

In addition to the commonly heard rubber-ducky vocalization, Brown-headed Nuthatches also make a rapid series of high-pitched, jumbled notes, sometimes combined with the rubber-ducky vocalization. During foraging bouts, individuals also make soft single-noted calls—useful for finding groups of nuthatches.

Compare with Similar Species

Click on an image to compare

Pygmy Nuthatch Adult is similar to Brown-headed Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch Adult is similar to Brown-headed Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch Adult is similar to Brown-headed Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Species in This Family

Nuthatches(Order: Passeriformes, Family:Sittidae)

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Browse Species in This Family

More to Read

6 Steps to Choosing a Pair of Binoculars You'll Love
Feeding Birds: a Quick Guide to Seed Types
eBird
Mesmerizing Migration: Watch 118 Bird Species Migrate Across a Map of the Western Hemisphere

Habitat Network
Which Backyard Birds Eat Which Plants? A Quick Guide to Native Foods
eBird
eBird: Help & FAQ
NestWatch
Right Bird, Right House: Guide to Birds and Birdhouses for Your Region

Brown-headed Nuthatch

Overview
ID Info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Overview
What We Do
Visit the Lab
Job Opportunities
News Releases

Citizen Science

eBird
Project Feederwatch
NestWatch
Celebrate Urban Birds
Great Backyard Bird Count
Habitat Network

Lifelong Learning

Online Courses
Workshops
Bird Walks & Events
Spring Field Ornithology
BirdSleuth

Birds of North America
Clements Checklist
Neotropical Birds
State of the Birds
Annual Report
Scientific Citations
Living Bird Magazine

Bird Guide
Bird Cams
Macaulay Library
"Raven" Sound Analysis
Our Youtube Videos
FAQs

Support Our Cause

Join the Lab
Donate
Monthly Giving
Membership Services
Shop for Our Cause

Contact the Lab
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Site Credits

Copyright © 2017 Cornell University