Brown Creeper

Certhia americana

Treecreepers · Passeriformes · Common

The Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) is a common treecreeper found in 10 countries, weighing about 8 g. The brown creeper, also known as the American treecreeper, is a small songbird, the only North American member of the treecreeper family Certhiidae.

Least ConcernCommonEats invertebratesforestcavity nest8 g

About the Brown Creeper

The brown creeper, also known as the American treecreeper, is a small songbird, the only North American member of the treecreeper family Certhiidae.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

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. Measurements: Length: 4.7–5.5 in (12–14 cm) Weight: 0.2–0.3 oz (5.7–8.5 g) Wingspan: 6.7–7.

What the Brown Creeper sounds like

Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto
Recording: Jonathon Jongsma · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Recorded as a rare visitor in France.

When to see it

The Brown Creeper can be seen all year round, with peak activity in April. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Brown Creeper?
Adults are brown on the upper parts with light spotting, resembling a piece of tree bark, with white underparts. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Brown Creeper?
The Brown Creeper is a tiny sized bird weighing about 8 g.
Where can you see a Brown Creeper?
The Brown Creeper occurs in 10 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.
What does a Brown Creeper sound like?
You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Brown Creeper on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
What birds look similar to a Brown Creeper?
The Brown Creeper is most easily confused with the Short-toed Treecreeper, the Eurasian Treecreeper and the Bar-tailed Treecreeper.
Is the Brown Creeper endangered?
The Brown Creeper is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Brown Creeper for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

Play BeakBrain

Every photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.