nuthatch

nut·hatch | \ ˈnət-ˌhach

How to pronounce nuthatch (audio)

\

Definition of nuthatch

: any of various small tree-climbing chiefly insectivorous birds (family Sittidae and especially genus Sitta) that have a compact body, a narrow bill, a short tail, and sometimes a black cap

Examples of nuthatch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gary Ritchison, an ornithologist at Eastern Kentucky University, agrees it’s unknown why the nuthatches don’t trust the chickadees enough to repeat their level of alarm. — National Geographic, "These birds 'retweet' alarm calls—but are careful about spreading rumors," 27 Jan. 2020 Learn about these ways, then take a hike in search of nuthatches in the wild. — Mary Jane Brewer, cleveland, "Don’t hibernate: Join in the January fun at the Medina County Parks," 6 Dec. 2019 The cavities that woodpeckers create and later abandon provide living space for other creatures — birds such as titmice, nuthatches and wrens, but also for flying squirrels, Mason said. — Adrian Higgins, Washington Post, "The percussive appeal of the woodpecker," 17 July 2019 For nuthatches and woodpeckers, hang a suet feeder block in a hanging basket. — Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Create a home for birds, a new world for yourself," 10 June 2019 The paper looked at about a dozen songbird species, including the American robin, red-faced warbler, and other arboreal species, as well as ground-dwelling birds like the house wren and white-breasted nuthatch. — National Geographic, "Birds That Leave Nest Too Late Can Endanger Their Families," 25 June 2018 While most birds peck at food right side up, the nuthatch disdains proper manners. — Jerry Shnay, Daily Southtown, "Shnay: June brings colorful birds to my yard," 11 June 2018 Blue jays, cardinals, chickadees, finches, nuthatches and titmice will come for the black-oil sunflower seed. — Evan Macdonald, cleveland.com, "No one harmed in Christmas house fire in Broadview Heights," 25 Dec. 2017 The sound of the flowing river was broken by the chirping of a black-capped chickadee and a white-breasted nuthatch. — Frank Vaisvilas, Daily Southtown, "Local residents count in national effort to record bird population," 18 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nuthatch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about nuthatch

Dictionary Entries near nuthatch

Statistics for nuthatch

Cite this Entry

“Nuthatch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nuthatch. Accessed 25 Oct. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

emissary

Listen to the pronunciation of emissary

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Namesakes Word Quiz

Which of the following is a fruit named after a Moroccan seaport?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.