#treecreepers

[operating-potato]

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

I have made this bird spin

rotation

[albertonykus]

Wrens, nuthatches, and treecreepers are members of Certhioidea, a group of generally small but highly charismatic birds. One of my favorite songbird clades.

[blogbirdfeather]

Short-toed Treecreeper - Trepadeira-comum (Certhia brachydactyla)

Cruz Quebrada/Portugal (7/09/2025)

[Nikon D500; AF-S Nikkor 500mm F5,6E PF ED VR]

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Brown Creeper

Photo: Tom Murray

"Looking like a piece of bark come to life, the Brown Creeper crawls up trunks of trees, ferreting out insect eggs and other morsels missed by more active birds. It is easily overlooked until its thin, reedy call gives it away. Reaching the top of one tree, it flutters down to the base of another to begin spiraling up again. Creepers even place their nests against tree trunks, tucked under loose slabs of bark, where they are very difficult to find."

- Audubon Field Guide

[snototter]

A short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla) in Spain

by Barbara Evans

[antiqueanimals]

Charley Harper (1922-2007)

via

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Creeping up on the Eurasian Treecreeper

requested by @crazychooklady

The eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris), as its name implies, is a species of tree creeper found throughout both Europe and Asia, in deciduous and evergreen forests. There are between 9 and 13 subspecies distributed across the continents, each with slight variations on the same morphology: 12 to 15 cm long, with a 19 cm wingspan and a weight of only 10g. The head, back, wings, and tail are typically mottled brown and the underbelly is a fluffy white.

The most distinguishing feature of any eurasian treecreeper is its bill, which is long, thing, and slightly curved. This makes it an excellent tool to search under tree bark for their main food source: insects. In addition, their tail feathers are especially stiff to support them as they climb vertically up tree trunks to forage. C. familiaris has few predators, due to their arboreal lifestyle and the excellent camouflage their colouring provides. Their main threats come from great spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major), least weasals (Mustela nivalis), and stoats (Mustela erminea), all of which will feed on eggs and hatchlings.

Like many passerine birds, the eurasian treecreeper is monogamous. The breeding season occurs between March and June, when food is most abundant. Males sing to attract a mate, and once a pair has formed they build a nest in the crevice of a tree. The pair will lay two clutches over the course of the breeding season, each with 1-6 eggs that the female incubates. These eggs only take about two weeks to hatch, and another two weeks to fledge and become fully independent. During this time, both parents feed their young but males spend more time defending the nest. The young become sexually mature at only a year old, and individuals in the wild typically only live for about two years.

None of the C. familiaris subspecies are migratory. However, some share territories with another treecreeper species, the short-toed treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla). The song of eurasian treecreepers that live in these areas differs from those of their relatives; their young learn the songs of both species, and thus sing mixed songs as adults. In addition, although they do not form flocks of their own, many eurasian treecreepers will join mixed species groups as extra protection against predators. 

Conservation status: The eurasian treecreeper is considered least concern by the IUCN, due to their large population and range. Habitat fragmentation and destruction for agricultural purposes are their largest threats, as they significantly increase predation risks.

Photos

Ryan Schaln (via eBird)

Dean Morley (via iNaturalist)

Dina Nesterkova (via iNaturalist)

[bettalbimarginata]

Speaking of birds: this is a Brown Treecreeper. I have been trying to find one of these for two years. Every time I check what birds have been seen in an area I’m traveling to and see a treecreeper on the list, it becomes one of the goals for that trip. Until December 2022, nothing. 

Then, late in December, this shows up. 

This is the only photo I got of a Golden-crowned Kinglet. Smallest passerine (songbird-type bird) in North America, related to the Ruby-crowned Kinglets I absolutely adore, and one I’ve been looking for even more intently for, again, a couple of years now. After two years of no dice, I looked out the window on the way down to breakfast, and this was in a tree not 10 feet away. I actually gasped out loud and covered my mouth- couldn’t believe it at first. Had to double-check the markings. 

Ran for my camera, went outside, and immediately another one showed up and they chased each other out of my yard. Spent 45 minutes trying to find them, with no luck. But, hey, at least I saw this one! I’ll have to try hunting for more. 

I put this little darling on this post because, the very next day, I look out a different window while getting breakfast, and: 

Brown Treecreeper. Another “oh, that can’t possibly be- it IS” moment, another run for the camera, and this one was nice enough to stick around! I got rained on, and I did not care. Precious little thing. 

Apparently, my 2022 Christmas present was two bird deliveries. Half-expected something else to show up the day afterward, but, sadly, pattern recognition doesn’t guarantee that the pattern continues.

This is why I keep my camera by the back door. Every now and then, it pays off big-time.