White-breasted Nuthatch Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesWhite-breasted Nuthatch
Male
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.
© Denis Allard / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, December 24, 2020Female
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, 2009Not all videos have sound
Male
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, 2011Male
A common visitor to bird feeders, where they eat sunflower seeds, peanuts, and more.
© Ryan Sanderson / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, December 23, 2020Female
Females have a gray crown and paler rusty underparts compared to males.
© Frank Pinilla / Macaulay LibraryOntario, February 05, 2019Adult
Western birds have darker upperparts and other subtle differences from Eastern birds, but the best way to differentiate groups is by voice.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, May 24, 2020Juvenile
Juvenile stays with parents for several weeks after fledging before dispersing.
© Jim Merritt / Macaulay LibraryColorado, June 28, 2020Adult
In flight, note the white patches in the tail and underwings.
© Steve Kolbe / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 16, 2017Female
Nests in holes in trees created naturally or excavated by woodpeckers.
© Andrew Dreelin / Macaulay LibraryGeorgia, April 12, 2020Habitat
Found most often in older deciduous woodlands, but also found in parks, wooded suburbs, and yards.
© Taylor Long / Macaulay LibraryArkansas, December 21, 2014Similar SpeciesRed-breasted Nuthatch
Adult
Red-breasted Nuthatches have a bold white eyebrow that White-breasted Nuthatches don't have.
© Scott Martin / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, February 03, 2017Similar SpeciesBrown-headed Nuthatch
Adult/immature
Brown-headed Nuthatches are smaller than White-breasted Nuthatches. They have a brown cap unlike the White-breasted Nuthatch's black cap.
© Shelley Rutkin / Macaulay LibraryNorth Carolina, March 17, 2017Similar SpeciesPygmy Nuthatch
Adult
Pygmy Nuthatches are smaller with a shorter bill than White-breasted Nuthatches. They have a brown (not black) cap and lack the White-breasted Nuthatch's large white cheek patch.
© Gordon Karre / Macaulay LibraryWashington, March 13, 2017Similar SpeciesTufted Titmouse
Adult
Tufted Titmice have longer tails than White-breasted Nuthatches and don't climb up and down tree trunks the way White-breasted Nuthatches do. They also have a crest that nuthatches don't have.
© Ben McGann / Macaulay LibraryNew York, December 05, 2016Similar SpeciesBrown Creeper
Adult/immature
Brown Creepers move along tree trunks like nuthatches, but they're brown instead of gray, with a much longer tail.
© David Turgeon / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, April 25, 2017Similar SpeciesBlack-capped Chickadee
Adult
Black-capped Chickadees have a longer tail, a smaller bill, and are less compact than nuthatches. They also don't climb up and down tree trunks the way nuthatches do.
© Scott Martin / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, February 03, 2017Similar SpeciesCarolina Chickadee
Adult/immature
Carolina Chickadees have a longer tail, a smaller bill, and are less compact than nuthatches. They also don't climb up and down tree trunks the way nuthatches do.
© Alberto Lopez Torres / Macaulay LibraryMaryland, March 25, 2017Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Nuthatches(Order: Passeriformes, Family: Sittidae)
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