White-breasted Nuthatch
Learn to identify the White-breasted Nuthatch by ear. Master the "yank yank yank" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the White-breasted Nuthatch sounds like
A small, compact songbird with a short tail and a large head. It has clean white underparts and face, a black cap (gray in females), and blue-gray upperparts with some black markings. Often seen creeping headfirst down tree trunks.
“yank yank yank”
How to tell it apart
Lessons featuring the White-breasted Nuthatch
Ready to test your ear? Practice identifying the White-breasted Nuthatch's sounds in these interactive in-app lessons.
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Where you'll hear it
Mature deciduous or mixed forests, woodlots, parks, and suburban areas with large trees. Prefers woodland edges and groves of oak, hickory, or maple; often visits backyard feeders.
Pairs begin courtship by late winter. In spring they nest in tree cavities and raise 1 brood, the male often feeding the incubating female. In fall they store food for winter, and in winter they join mixed flocks with chickadees and titmice while remaining on their territory.
Similar species
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Smaller and with a rusty-orange underside. It has a bold black eye-stripe and more extensive rusty color on underparts. Its call is higher-pitched and more nasal (a tinny "yank-yank") than the White-breasted's slower nasal call. Prefers coniferous forests.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
A small nuthatch of the southeastern US with a brown cap and a tiny size. Lacks the White-breasted's black cap and has a brown head instead. Its calls are very different, sounding like a squeaky rubber duck toy. Usually found in pine forests.
Black-capped Chickadee
Not a nuthatch, but also climbs on trees. Chickadees are smaller with a black cap and bib and white cheeks, and they lack the long bill. Chickadees often descend trees upright (not headfirst) and have a different vocalization ("chick-a-dee" calls).