Identification - It is smaller than a sparrow with blue-gray above and rusty below. Up close look for the black crown and eyeline with a white stripe over the eye. It is often seen going headfirst down the tree as it forages in the bark and branch crotches for insects.
Morsels - The nuthatches are the only tree foraging birds that move headfirst down the trunk. This may help them find food items that birds moving up the trunk, such as the Brown Creeper, miss. Nuthatches also store extra food in bark crevices for use later.
