Less gregarious than other nuthatches, the white-breasted nuthatch is typically seen singly or in pairs. In fall and winter, it regularly forms small mixed-species flocks, but a single flock rarely includes more than 6 white-­breasteds. Commonly seen at bird feeders, the white-breasted is often first detected by its calls, which it frequently gives year-round. Polytypic. Length 5.8".

The species has a black crown and nape that contrast with a white face and breast. Adult male: It has a uniformly black crown and nape. Upperparts are blue-gray, similar in color to the blue-gray wing edging. Females: they are duller than males; a paler crown often contrasts with a blacker nape; in the Southeast, the head pattern is more similar to the male’s,