White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790

16 cmLength21 gWeight

The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

White-breasted Nuthatch has been recorded at 576 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Madera Canyon – Santa Rita LodgeUnited States29,260 records
  2. Paton Center for HummingbirdsUnited States20,114 records
  3. Rio Grande Nature Center SPUnited States13,833 records
More places
  1. Mount Auburn CemeteryUnited States13,499 records
  2. Domaine de MaizeretsCanada13,319 records
  3. Great Meadows NWR – Concord UnitUnited States13,275 records
  4. RF Marguerite-D'YouvilleCanada13,077 records
  5. Prospect ParkUnited States12,526 records
  6. Central ParkUnited States12,237 records
  7. HUNTLEY MEADOWS PARKUnited States11,712 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesCanadaMexico

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The white-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a species of bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae. Coloration varies somewhat along the species' range, but the upperparts are light blue-gray, with a black crown and nape in males, while females have a dark gray crown. The underparts are whitish, with a reddish tinge on the lower abdomen.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the White-breasted Nuthatch?

The White-breasted Nuthatch is about 16 cm long and weighs around 21 g.

Where does the White-breasted Nuthatch live?

Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: widespread, also northern Mexico. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.

When is the best time to see the White-breasted Nuthatch?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the White-breasted Nuthatch endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-breasted Nuthatch as Least Concern.

What does the White-breasted Nuthatch eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the White-breasted Nuthatch in?

It belongs to the family Nuthatches (Sittidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length
16 cm
Weight
21 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
89 mm
Tail
49 mm
Bill
19 mm
Tarsus
18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America, Middle America: widespread, also northern Mexico

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Nuthatches Sittidae
Genus
Sitta

Other birds in the genus Sitta

White-cheeked NuthatchWhite-cheeked NuthatchSitta leucopsisPrzevalski's NuthatchPrzevalski's NuthatchSitta przewalskiiGiant NuthatchGiant NuthatchSitta magnaBeautiful NuthatchBeautiful NuthatchSitta formosaBlue NuthatchBlue NuthatchSitta azureaVelvet-fronted NuthatchVelvet-fronted NuthatchSitta frontalisYellow-billed NuthatchYellow-billed NuthatchSitta solangiaeSulphur-billed NuthatchSulphur-billed NuthatchSitta oenochlamysPygmy NuthatchPygmy NuthatchSitta pygmaeaBrown-headed NuthatchBrown-headed NuthatchSitta pusillaBahama NuthatchBahama NuthatchSitta insularisYunnan NuthatchYunnan NuthatchSitta yunnanensis
White-breasted Nuthatch

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by César Andrés Castillo. ↗

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