What is with that crazy bird? Why does he just climb down the tree then fly to the top and then climb down again? It is a nuthatch. It’s habit of hopping headfirst down tree trunks helps it see ...

Characteristics: A 4-inch-long bird with a stout, chisel-like bill, grayish-blue back and pale, buffy undersides. The head has a brownish cap, thick black eyeline and white cheeks. Range: Found ...

Despite being one of the more common local birds, you may have never seen a Pygmy nuthatch. Their miniscule four-inch-long bodies are easy to overlook. They thrive in conifer forest, especially ...

The power of flight gives most birds a perfectly valid reason to disregard the power of gravity. The family of tree-clinging birds known as nuthatches lives an even more topsy-turvy lifestyle than ...

Pygmy nuthatches are frequent visitors to our winter suet feeder. Delightful small birds, Sitta pygmacea often perch upside down. Routinely, we see three to four, their quick movements captivating.

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 ...

Bird sounds that always make me chuckle are those of the red-breasted nuthatch. I won’t call them songs because they don’t meet most people’s idea of “song.” The most common call of this species is ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.