Bird Watching: Brown Creeper

The brown creeper (Certhia americana) is an extremely common bird and covers a wide range; however, you probably have never seen it or would not even notice it if it were right in front of you. This little bird is well-camouflaged but is worth the effort of trying to lure to your garden where maybe you can enjoy its visitations.

The brown creeper is a small bird -- 5-5¾ inches. They have streaked brown plumage and buff-colored undersides. As a result, they blend in naturally with the trees they inhabit and upon which they find their food. If you look closely, you will notice their distinctive down-curved bill. You will probably, though, hear them before you see them. They make a high-pitched lisping tsee call or may sing in a musical warble, much like that of a winter wren.

Brown creepers can be found from Alaska eastward across Canada to Newfoundland. They are also found throughout the United States, wintering not only in their extensive breeding range but also in Florida and the Gulf Coast region. In my area of Northeast Tennessee, they breed in the Blue Ridge Mountain areas of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. They like to inhabit woodland areas, both deciduous and mixed. Nests are built usually behind a loose piece of bark on a tree, which means that you probably will not be able to find their nests at all. Once during the breeding season, 6-7 white eggs with reddish-brown spots are laid. The female incubates the eggs for 14-15 days. The male will then help feed the young until they leave the nest about 13-14 days later.

If you are walking or hiking through a wooded region in your area and want to try to find a brown creeper, look on the trunks of the trees -- closely. Brown creepers start at the bottom of the trunks and work their way up the tree in a spiral looking for insects, such as larvae, pupae, caterpillars, spiders, weevils, and others. (Note: They are very similar to nuthatches [see Bird Watching: White-Breasted Nuthatch] in their foraging habits. Once they have traveled close to the top of the tree, they will fly down to the bottom of the trunk of a neighboring tree and begin their upward spiral once again. You can lure them to your own yard by supplying them with peanut butter smeared on a tree trunk. They also like suet, nuts and seeds, and peanuts. In the winter, look for them with flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, and woodpeckers.

This tiny bird may seem non-descript, lacking any bright, colorful plumage to draw your attention. Nevertheless, once you have managed to spot one on a tree, its foraging methods will fascinate you. Plus I think they are cute.

References:

Alsop III, Fred J. All About Tennessee Birds. Birmingham, AL: Sweetwater Press, 1997.

Carpenter, Tom. The Gardener's Bird Book. Minnetonka, MN: National Home Gardening Club, 1999.

Bull, John and John Farrand, Jr. National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds: Eastern Edition. NY, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1994.