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White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

© Charles H. Warren

Length: 5-6 in.
Habitat: mixed forests; woods; groves; suburbs.

The nuthatches are the only birds that habitually climb down tree trunks headfirst, gathering insects and insect eggs from crevices and under the bark. The name nuthatch derives from nut-hack, for the way the bird wedges nuts and other food into crevices and chop them into pieces. The southeastern Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) and the western Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea) are smaller species.