This bird, and the 16 other known nuthatch species, are able to descend head downwards on tree trunks and branches. Thus they search in nooks and crannies in bark for tiny organisms overlooked by other birds which glean food while moving in an upright fashion. The Red-breasted Nuthatch lives mostly on the branches of trees instead of on the trunks, and in this way resembles a chickadee.
None are more than seven and one-half inches long.
Whether in Formosa, Germany or Mexico, all nuthatches share many characteristics with the Red-breasted Nuthatch. Description Like all nuthatches the Red-breasted Nuthatch has short legs, a flat body, and a large head. Its strong, rather long bill is slightly upturned. The Red-breasted Nuthatch can be distinguished from other nuthatches by a pronounced white eyebrow stripe set off by a black line through the eye, and black on top of the head and neck. The crown is black in the male and dark greyish-blue in the female.