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White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

Audubon Illustration

Audubon illustration of White-breasted Nuthatch

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

Range & Recent Observations

White-breasted Nuthatchis a year-round resident and doesn't follow a migration flyway. See the Range tab for where it lives.

Last Spotted Near You

View on eBirdWikipedia

About the White-breasted Nuthatch

The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae. It is a medium-sized nuthatch, measuring approximately 15.5 cm (6.1 in) in length. Coloration varies somewhat along the species' range, but the upperparts are light blue-gray, with a black crown and nape in males, while females have a dark gray crown. The underparts are whitish, with a reddish tinge on the lower abdomen. Despite not being closely related, the white-breasted nuthatch and the white wagtail are very similar in plumage. The white-breasted nuthatch is a chatty bird. It has a nasal voice and often utters little cries or vocalizations, often composed of repetitions of small invariant whistles.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Sitta carolinensis
Family
Nuthatches
Order
Passeriformes

Similar species

Other members of the nuthatches family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • Brown-headed Nuthatch Sitta pusilla
  • Pygmy Nuthatch Sitta pygmaea
  • Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis

Know when the White-breasted Nuthatch turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →

Gear for spotting White-breasted Nuthatch

Optics

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From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.

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Optics

Spotting Scopes for Distance Birding

Essential for shorebirds, raptors, and anything too far for binoculars. Our tested picks.

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