Animal ID Challenge - Nuthatch, Tufted Titmouse, or Chickadee

Photo © Chas53 / iStockphoto.

In today's animal identification challenge, we have a little grey and white bird with a splash of orange on its flanks. This little bird is about 6.5 inches in length with a 9.75 inch wingspan. It is common in mature deciduous forests in the US, east of the Mississippi River. Its song is whistled "peter peter peter peter" and its call is a series of thin nasal notes, "ti ti ti sii sii zhree zhree zhree". The adult has a black forehead, pale cream feathers around the eye, and a blue-gray crest and upper body. It has a splash of rusty orange feathers on its flanks just beneath its wing. This species does not migrate, choosing instead to brave the cold throughout the winter months throughout its range.

Your task is to identify which of the following three birds this species is: nuthatch, tufted titmouse, or chickadee.

After you have cast your vote in this Animal ID Challenge, be sure to check your answer here.