Illustration of nuthatch
nuthatch
noun
nut·hatch ˈnət-ˌhach 
: 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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Being seen are representatives from eight finch species: pine siskin, common redpoll, hoary redpoll, purple finch, pine grosbeak, evening grosbeak, red crossbill, and white-winged crossbill, plus red-breasted nuthatch. 
Star Tribune, 22 Dec. 2020 Our feeders in west Hennepin County attracted six purple finches and one red-breasted nuthatch. Star Tribune, 22 Dec. 2020 One nuthatch fell into tar and lost its tail feathers when it was cleaned. Lela Nargi, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2020 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, 27 Jan. 2020 Learn about these ways, then take a hike in search of nuthatches in the wild. Mary Jane Brewer, cleveland, 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, 17 July 2019 For nuthatches and woodpeckers, hang a suet feeder block in a hanging basket. Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 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, 25 June 2018 See More
Star Tribune, 22 Dec. 2020 Our feeders in west Hennepin County attracted six purple finches and one red-breasted nuthatch. Star Tribune, 22 Dec. 2020 One nuthatch fell into tar and lost its tail feathers when it was cleaned. Lela Nargi, Washington Post, 8 Dec. 2020 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, 27 Jan. 2020 Learn about these ways, then take a hike in search of nuthatches in the wild. Mary Jane Brewer, cleveland, 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, 17 July 2019 For nuthatches and woodpeckers, hang a suet feeder block in a hanging basket. Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 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, 25 June 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English notehache, from note nut + -hache; akin to Old English tohaccian to hack — more at hack
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
nuthatch
noun
nut·hatch ˈnət-ˌhach
: a small bird that creeps on tree trunks and branches and eats insects