Bold black crown and eyeline with white supercilium, face and throat. Long thin black bill. Rusty orange breast and belly, gray lower flanks and dark gray tail and legs. Females and immatures are paler orange below, grayer on the crown, and show less contrast between the buffy orange breast and white face.

Length: 11 (cm) Wingspan: 21 (cm)

Voice:

Nasal, same pitched call: yank yank yank. Lower pitched: iik iik when agitated. Usually shorter, more rapid and more nasal than White-breasted Nuthatch, with shorter notes.

Habitat:

Mature coniferous or mixed coniferous-deciduous forests; urban areas with sufficient conifers.

Behavior:

Creeps down trunk headfirst. Probes foliage and bark for food. During winter, forms mixed flocks with chickadees, kinglets, and other small passerines. Highly responsive to "pishing" and owl imitations.

Feeding:

Diet consists of insects, spiders and conifer seeds. Regular visitor to suet feeders.