To many, the name red-breasted nuthatch is really rather comical. And when humans make their first acquaintance with this widespread but relatively unknown bird, they often find that introduction amusing. Nuthatches don't behave like most birds. The nuthatch is a tiny bird, barely 4 inches long from the tip of its thin, sharp-pointed bill to the end of its short stubby tail. The earth is the surface on which many animals including humans do most of their moving.
Most birds spend much of their time in the air.
Nuthatches spend most of their lives in close and intimate proximity to the bark of trunks and branches of trees. Unlike most birds that use trees for part of their life cycle, nuthatches do not fly onto a branch and perch upright on limbs, but cling laterally to the bark. Their legs are short with long strong toes and sharp claws for grasping. They creep along, covering distance with jerky, hopping movements, while pausing to explore nooks and crannies for insects or nuts and seeds. They poke their bill into crevices or chip away at the bark sometimes so loudly they are confused by sound with a woodpecker.