Nuthatches are smaller than sparrows and look much stockier they are powerful birds with a large head strong dagger like bill and short tail they have strong legs with long nails which help them to grip as they travel up and down trees their colouring is exotic and eye catching with a striking black eye stripe white chin blue grey upper parts orange buff under parts and a chestnut wash on the flanks females are paler in colour than the males and therefore less noticeable but other than