The white-breasted nuthatch is often observed walking and probing head-down on the trunks of large conifers in mature wooded areas. The first impression is a small bird with a very white head and ...

If you see a very agile, active little bird hopping down a tree trunk headfirst, or hanging upside down, it is probably a nuthatch; maybe a red-breasted or a white-breasted nuthatch. I’ve always ...

Sitting on a bench surrounded by 70-foot-tall Norway spruces, I watch a red-breasted nuthatch take a peanut from a feeder in my front yard. There’s a cool breeze on this sunny autumn day, and I know ...

My morning routine for feeding backyard birds includes spreading bark butter on a pine tree while an impatient white-breasted nuthatch utters a high-pitched nasal call, sounding like “thank, thank.” ...

So far, this fall has brought more birds and more variety of birds to local backyards. The white-breasted nuthatch, a fairly common bird in our area, is just a little more common than usual lately.

Back in 2004, in what now seems like another life, I had a memorable experience on my way to work. Walking east along Wacker Drive, I noticed what looked like a leaf floating toward the sidewalk. It ...

This nasally call should be familiar to everyone who feeds birds or tromps through the woods. It's the sound made by a white-breasted nuthatch staying in touch with a partner, as these natty birds ...

The white-breasted nuthatch is a familiar bird to many feeders in our region. This small songbird is snowy white below and wears a coat of slate-blue above. A bold black stripe caps its head and neck.

Old bones are cold bones, I've heard it said, and my old bones have been sticking pretty close to home. That's why I don't have a bird of my own to present this week. Instead, I decided to borrow one.

First off, I want to wish you a Happy New Year. I hope that any effects of self-inflicted devastation have worn off and that you are able to kick back and relax on the first weekend of the New Year.

I was sitting on my porch enjoying my morning coffee. It's a daily ritual of mine, as it is for many people, I'm sure. The main point of my ritual, of course, is to look and listen for what birds are ...