Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Tiny, cryptic woodland songbird, unique in North America. White below and streaked brown-and-buff above; blends into tree bark very easily. Also note narrow, decurved bill and long tail. In flight, shows a bold buffy wing stripe. When foraging, often starts near the base of a tree trunk, hitches upward in short, jerky motions until it nears the top, then flies to the base of a nearby tree to begin the process again. Found in mature woodland, especially with conifers. Often joins mixed flocks with other songbirds, especially in winter. Listen for high, thin calls and sweet cascading song.
Identification
Adults are brown on the upper parts with light spotting, resembling a piece of tree bark, with white underparts. They have a long thin bill with a slight downward curve and a long stiff tail used for support as the bird creeps upwards. The male creeper has a slightly larger bill than the female. Brown creepers are smaller than white-breasted nuthatches but larger than golden-crowned kinglets.<p>Measurements:<p>Its voice includes single very high pitched, short, often insistent, piercing calls; see, or swee. The song often has a cadence like; pee pee willow wee or see tidle swee, with notes similar to the calls. Creepers in California have songs of four to nine syllables, except in the San Bernardino Mountains, where there are as many as nine to thirteen syllables per song, but within the same two second time frame.<p>This species's avoidance of edges, cryptic plumage, and high-pitched vocalizations contribute to a low survey detection rate compared to other species.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Certhia americana
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1838
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Certhiidae
- Genus
- Certhia
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Brown creepers forage on tree trunks and branches, typically zig-zagging upwards from the bottom of a tree trunk, and then flying down to the bottom of another tree. They creep slowly with their body flattened against the bark, probing with their beak for insects. They will rarely feed on the ground. They mainly eat small arthropods found in the bark, but sometimes they will eat seeds in winter.
Conservation
The species has declined in much of North America but appears to be doing well in Washington, with a small (not significant) increase on the state's breeding bird survey since 1966. As with many of Washington's birds, the Cascades divide this species into two subspecies.<p>In Wyoming, brown creepers have been recognized as preferring habitat within large, intact and mature stands of spruces, firs, or lodgepole pine. It is therefore potentially vulnerable to logging, climate change, or replacement of those tree species by Ponderosa pine. However, it is not considered a species of serious concern in that state.<p>In New Brunswick, brown creepers have been shown to respond negatively to even moderate forestry. Conservation efforts in the province have focused on maintaining unmanaged patches with high densities of trees and snags in mature forest.<p>Ivory-billed woodcreepers (Xiphorhynchus flavigaster) have been observed extracting brown creeper nestlings and dropping them away from the nest.
- Population trend
- rising
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Medium Ground-Finch
Geospiza fortis
One of the most common and conspicuous of the Galápagos finches. Bill is at least as long as the bill is deep, with the upper edge slightly rounded. Lower edge of bill is mostly straight. Bill is moderately stout-looking, but bill size varies between individuals, and not all birds can be accurately identified. Bill is black on breeding male and dull orange on female and nonbreeding male. Male’s plumage is sooty-black; female is brown with paler underparts that are streaked with gray. Large Ground-Finch’s bill has bulbous appearance and usually forms a ridge where it meets the crown. Small Ground-Finch’s bill is smaller and more pointed. Found in a wide variety of habitats on most islands, but absent from Española and Genovesa.
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Chrysolophus amherstiae
Attractive terrestrial bird of hilly forests with dense patches of undergrowth. Stately male is resplendent, with long striped tail, white belly, and black-and-white scaling on neck. Female brown with black striping and gray skin around the eye. Female Golden Pheasant similar but grayer in coloration and has smaller pinkish eye patch. Moves about quietly when feeding in dense vegetation, usually singly or in pairs.
Dark-breasted Rosefinch
Procarduelis nipalensis
Dark medium-sized rosefinch. Male is is dark pink with a lighter throat and eyebrow. Female is dark brown with light wingbars. Both sexes can be similar to Vinaceous Rosefinch, but note male’s different head pattern and female’s unstreaked underparts and noticeable wingbars. Forages on the ground in montane and hill forest, forest edge, and rocky meadows and slopes. Gives a wheezy sparrow-like “wheer.”
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.