Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

County List:

Rule:

Forested Landscapes

This species is thought to be area sensitive - requiring fairly large tracts of forests.

      (Any Forested Upland Except Conifer Plantations (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
      or (Any Forested Lowland (Sm Saw or Lg Saw or Uneven))
   containing:
      Snags

Habitat List:

view size class definitions

Literature:

Habitat: Creepers frequently occur in moist woodlands, often near water. Forest floodplains, swamps, and bogs are favored breeding sites, but Atlas Habitat Survey data indicate that dry forests also provide suitable habitat, at least in the north. Occurring in coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests, Brown Creepers appear to be limited by adequate nest sites which apparently play an important role in habitat selection. Nests are almost invariably placed in dead or dying trees where a loose cup of twigs, fibers, and mosses is concealed behind a partially detached shingle of bark.

Many areas occupied by Brown Creepers in the southern Lower Peninsula are within large state-owned tracts of forest, suggesting that forest fragmentation may contribute to the absence of creepers in some localities.

Habitat: Breeding: Dense coniferous, deciduous, or mixed woodlands, wooded swamps. Wintering: Same but birds retreat to lower altitudes.

Special Habitat Requirements: Standing dead trees with loose bark. The minimum dbh of suitable nest trees is 10 inches.

Habitat: Woodlands, groves, shade trees. Breeds in mature forest, either coniferous or deciduous, with many large trees, ranging from mountain pine woods to lowland swamp forest. In migration may be found in any habitat with at least a few good-sized trees, even suburbs or city parks.

Diet: Mostly insects. Feeds on a wide variety of insects, especially insect eggs and pupae hidden in bark; also weevils and other beetles, true bugs, leafhoppers, scale insects, aphids, caterpillars, ants, and many others. Eats some seeds, and will feed on suet or peanut butter mixtures.

Nest: Usual nest site is behind a large strip of bark still attached to tree; occasionally in cavity in tree. May be at any height from very low to 50 feet or more above ground. In typical sites, nest is a shallow half cup closely fitting the available space behind the bark slab. Nest is made of twigs, bark strips, moss, leaves, lined with finer materials.

Conservation Status: Declined as a breeding bird in much of eastern United States with cutting of forests; nests mainly in mature forest, not young second growth.