Sex in painting: male. Note the black stripes on head and rufous belly and sides. Females have more grey head stripes and paler belly and sides.

Average seen per day (only including days with at least 1): 1

Percentage of days this species was observed (out of 13 days): 38%

Distinctive Traits: This is the only bird around Kitsilano that you will see facing down the tree! Their facial markings somewhat resemble the Black-capped Chickadee, but nuthatches have a thin dark crown, a white eyebrow and a thin dark eyeline rather than a the chickadee’s full black cap.

Where to look: I tended to hear Red-breasted Nuthatches before seeing them. They commonly perched directly on the trunks of small deciduous trees, maples, or larger coniferous trees. They switch between upright perching and down-facing perching readily.

Something I learned about this bird: They probably won’t use your next box because they prefer to make their own nest holes.