Main Species
White-breasted Nuthatch
Adult
Compact, no-necked and short-tailed bird with a long, sharply pointed bill. Note blue-gray back, stark white cheeks, and black cap. From below, it has a white belly and rusty spots near its rear.
© Ryan Schain | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, February 22, 2011Female
Compact bird that clings to tree bark moving down, up, and around the trees. Females look like males but have a grayer cap. Note rusty patches near the rear.
© David Turgeon | Macaulay LibraryQuebec, November 18, 2016Female
Famous for perching upside-down on tree trunks. While they don't always go downwards, this tendency gives them a very recognizable posture with the head craned upward and backward to reach horizontal.
© Tim Laman | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, March 15, 2009Adult
Small and compact with a big head and short tail. Blue-gray above with a black crown and stark white cheeks.
© Gordon Dimmig | Macaulay LibraryPennsylvania, April 15, 2011Female
Females have a gray crown and paler rusty underparts compared to males.
© Patricia Clark | Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, March 11, 2017Female
Nests in holes in trees created naturally or excavated by woodpeckers.
© Gordon Johnston | Macaulay LibraryOntario, March 17, 2017Habitat
Found most often in older deciduous woodlands, but also found in parks, wooded suburbs, and yards.
© Taylor Long | Macaulay LibraryArkansas, December 21, 2014