White-breasted Nuthatch Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  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.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Red-breasted Nuthatch; smaller than a Tufted Titmouse.

  sparrow-sized or smaller

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 5.1-5.5 in (13-14 cm)
    • Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz (18-30 g)
    • Wingspan: 7.9-10.6 in (20-27 cm)

  © David Turgeon / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  White-breasted Nuthatches are gray-blue on the back, with a frosty white face and underparts. The black or gray cap and neck frame the face and make it look like this bird is wearing a hood. The lower belly and under the tail are often chestnut.

• Behavior

  White-breasted Nuthatches are agile birds that creep along trunks and large branches, probing into bark furrows with their straight, pointed bills. Like other nuthatches, they often turn sideways and upside down on vertical surfaces as they forage. They don’t lean against their tails the way woodpeckers do.
• Habitat

  White-breasted Nuthatches are birds of mature woods and woodland edges. They’re particularly associated with deciduous stands, including maple, hickory, basswood, and oak, though they can be found in some coniferous forests.