The sides of the belly and the undertail feathers are rust. The male's cap is black, but the female's is dark gray. Juveniles look similar to adults, but their breast feathers are whiter especially on the breast. Male and female juveniles can be distinguished by their caps, just like the adults. This species is a year-round resident throughout most of the United States and parts of Canada and Mexico.
Nuthatches prefer to nest near open areas and forest edges.
The nest is often located near water, roads, orchards, or fields. These birds also eat acorns and other seeds and are common visitors to sunflower and suet feeders in the winter. Feeding territories are defended throughout the year. During the fall and winter months, the birds exhibit a behavior called scatterhoarding, in which they hide food items in bark crevices and under leaves, moss, or lichen. During the winter, nuthatches sometimes feed in flocks with other species that feed on their territories.