White-breasted Nuthatch

The take

The upside-down bird walking headfirst down the trunk.

How to ID it

• Gray-blue back with a frosty white face and underparts; black or gray cap frames the face like a hood
• Small bird with a large head, almost no neck, very short tail, and a long, narrow bill
• Creeps along trunks and branches, often sideways or upside down, without leaning on its tail

Field marks at a glance

Size

small

Head

black cap over white face

Call

nasal yank-yank

Where & when

Year-round in Charlotte

Learn more

• allaboutbirds.org