Brown-headed Nuthatch

Sitta pusilla

Year-round in CharlotteUncommon

The take

A Southeast pine-woods specialty that sounds exactly like a squeaky dog toy.

How to ID it

  • White below and gray above with a brown cap and a white spot on the back of the head
  • Tiny, compact, and round, with a chisel-like bill that looks too big for its body
  • Zigzags up and down pine trunks in squeaky, social groups

Field marks at a glance

Size
tiny
Head
brown cap
Call
squeaky-toy double squeak

Where & when

Year-round in Charlotte — best odds at mcdowell nature center and preserve.

Learn more

Sources