Sitta carolinensis

Description

This is a small gray bird. Males have a black cap on their head, females’ are gray. Underneath is white. Males are a slightly darker gray than females. They have black eyes on a white face. The feathers under the tail are chestnut. When climbing down trees, they go down head first.

Voice

Their song is a rapid, nasal, whistle of one pitch notes whi, whi, whi, whi, whi, whi, whi . The note is a nasal yank.

Habitat

White-breasted nuthatches prefer conifer forests. In winter, they will also be found in other trees. They are a frequent visitor to bird feeders.

Diet

Their diet consists of seeds, fruit, nuts, and insects.

Range

White-breasted nuthatches can be found throughout the entire United States and parts of Canada and Mexico.

Other Useful Information

Nuthatches got their name by their food eating technique. They gather food and jam them into the bark of trees. They then hammer, or “hatch”, the food open in order to eat it.

Similar Species

Red-breasted nuthatch, brown-headed nuthatch, and brown creeper.