Sittelle torchepot
Like all nuthatches, the red-breasted nuthatch is assigned to the genus "Sitta" (Linnaeus, 1758), a name derived from "sittē" (), the Ancient Greek word for the Eurasian nuthatch. The specific epithet "canadensis" is New Latin for "belonging to Canada". "Nuthatch" is a linguistic corruption of "nuthack", referring to the bird's habit of wedging nuts into cracks in tree bark and hacking at them until they break open. "Red-breasted" is a reference to the rusty colour of the male's underparts.