This diurnal nuthatch uses cliffs and rocky gorges and searches tree bark for invertebrates. Where it overlaps with the Western Rock Nuthatch, the black eye-stripe widening behind the eye is a useful clue.
Where it overlaps with the Western Rock Nuthatch, its black eye-stripe widens behind the eye. Its head and bill are also described as larger and heavier.
It is diurnal and uses cliffs, gorges, and rocky areas, as well as pine forest and desert edges. It searches tree bark for invertebrates.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.