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.
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.
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.
Small and compact with a big head and short tail. Blue-gray above with a black crown and stark white cheeks.
A common visitor to bird feeders, where they eat sunflower seeds, peanuts, and more.
Females have a gray crown and paler rusty underparts compared to males.
Western birds have darker upperparts and other subtle differences from Eastern birds, but the best way to differentiate groups is by voice.
Juvenile stays with parents for several weeks after fledging before dispersing.
In flight, note the white patches in the tail and underwings.
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The largest nuthatch, this is still a small bird with a large head and almost no neck. The tail is very short, and the long, narrow bill is straight or slightly upturned.
Larger than a Red-breasted Nuthatch; smaller than a Tufted Titmouse.
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