The Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) name is derived from nut hacker, reflecting the bird's method of opening up nuts by jamming them into a crevice then hammering at them. The nuthatch climbs up and down tree trunks in mature woods. It is steely grey-blue above, pinky buff below and has a prominent black eyestripe, white chin and dark, dagger-like bill. Old country names include mud dabbler and mud stopper, both of which note the bird's curious habit of plastering mud around the entrance hole to its nest. Unlike the treecreeper, which only moves up the trunk of a tree, nuthatches will move both up and down.
See also: Velvet fronted nuthatch, Brown headed nuthatch
