Brown-headed Nuthatch Similar Species Comparison
Similar Species
Pygmy Nuthatch
Adult
Pygmy Nuthatches are slightly smaller than Brown-headed Nuthatches and look very similar, but their ranges do not overlap.
© Gordon Karre | Macaulay LibraryWashington, March 13, 2017Similar Species
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Adult
Red-breasted Nuthatches have a white eyebrow stripe and a black stripe through the eye unlike the Brown-headed Nuthatch's solid brown cap.
© Scott Martin | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, February 03, 2017Similar Species
White-breasted Nuthatch
Adult
White-breasted Nuthatches are larger than Brown-headed Nuthatches. They have a white face and a black, not brown, crown.
© Ryan Schain | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, February 22, 2011Main Species
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Adult
Tiny, compact nuthatch with a chisel-like bill. Note brown cap, blue-gray back, and whitish underparts.
© Kojo Baidoo | Macaulay LibraryMaryland, January 13, 2021Adult
Tiny and compact with a short tail and a sharp bill. Note brown cap, blue-gray upperparts, and whitish underparts.
© David Hollie | Macaulay LibraryGeorgia, January 10, 2011Adult
Zigzags up and down tree trunks and branches high in the canopy, squeaking like a rubber duck as it goes.
© Jay McGowan | Macaulay LibraryMaryland, November 15, 2009Adults/immatures
© Gregory Griffith | Macaulay LibraryArkansas, April 01, 1996Not all videos have sound
Habitat
Found in pine forests of the southeastern United States, especially in mature forests with an open understory.
© Robert Ostrowski | Macaulay LibraryMaryland, January 29, 2012Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
Compare with Similar Species
Click on an image to compare
Species in This Family
Nuthatches(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Sittidae)
Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin
Don't miss a thing! Join our email list
The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds,
birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.