Treecreepers

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Treecreepers are small, climbing birds that are found in woodlands all around the Northern Hemisphere and sub-Saharan Africa. They are mainly solitary birds. To find food they spiral up tree trunks from the bottom looking for insects - this is why they are called treecreepers.

 

Illustration of a Brown Creeper.
NPS/Intern Tristan Thomas

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

• The Brown Creeper builds a unique nest that looks like a hammock. They usually build their nests behind a loose flap of bark on a dead or dying tree.
• To search for food, Brown Creepers spend their time spiraling up tree trunks to search for insects. They use both feet at the same time to hop up the tree.
• Brown Creepers love to eat insects and their larvae, spiders and spider eggs, and pseudoscorpions. They always start at the bottom of tree trunks to search for their food.
• Wildlife managers sometimes use the Brown Creeper as an indicator species of how logging affects wildlife habitats.

Identification Information

• Size: Sparrow sized or smaller (Small)
• Color: Brown Creepers are streaked with brown and khaki with a white belly that is usually hidden against a tree trunk. Brown Creepers are very good at blending and tend to be hard to see against the bark of a tree.

 

All of the above information is an abbreviated version of information gathered from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Please visit their website for more in-depth bird information.

 

Birds

Perching Birds

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

New World Warblers