The red-breasted nuthatch has the un­usual habit of smearing ... Upperparts otherwise a deep blue-gray. Wings are edged blue-gray. Whitish chin and throat blend into buff breast and rich buff ...

Upperparts are blue-gray, similar in color to the blue-gray ... There are 9 subspecies of the white-breasted nuthatch in Mexico and North America, 5 of which occur north of the U.S.-Mexico border.