Endemic to oak and missed woodlands in California and northwestern Baja California, the Nuttall’s is closely related to the ladder-backed. Monotypic. Length 7".
“Ladder-back” pattern; spotted sides; barred flanks; auriculars almost wholly black; uppermost back black. Sexes similar but females lack red patch on nape and hindcrown.
Compared with ladder-backed, Nuttall’s shows more black on face; white bars on back are narrower; more extensive black on upper back below nape; white outer tail feathers sparsely spotted rather than barred. Nuttall’s underparts are purer white below, more cleanly spotted and barred with black; ladder-backed’s underparts are washed with buffy, and markings are finer but often extend across the breast as short streaks. Nuttall’s nasal tufts are usually white (buffy to dusky in
