Bird of the month: White-breasted nuthatch

The white-breasted nuthatch is often observed walking and probing head-down on the trunks of large conifers in mature wooded areas.

The first impression is a small bird with a very white head and breast. It is the largest of the three nuthatches that are year-round residents in our area. It is a compact, short-tailed bird with a long, sharply pointed bill and is 5½ to 6 inches long. The red-breasted and pygmy nuthatches are both less than five inches. 

It has a blue-grey back, white face and breast, and chestnut colored undertail coverts and lower belly. When it spreads its tail, there are white stripes on the outer edges. It has a narrow black cap or stripe on the head and nape; in females this is a dark grey.