Scientific Name:   Certhia americana

Length:   4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)

Weight:   0.2-0.3 oz (5-10 g)

Wingspan:   6.7-7.9 in (17-20 cm)

Nest:   The nest is behind a large strip of bark still attached to a tree; occasionally in cavity in tree. Sometimes a nest is a shallow half-cup, closely fitting the available space behind the bark slab. The nest is made of twigs, bark strips, moss, leaves, lined with finer materials.

Eggs:   5-6, sometimes 4-8. Whitish, dotted with reddish brown. Incubation is by female, about 14-17 days. Male may feed female during incubation.

Feeding Behavior:   Does a lot of foraging on trunk and limbs of trees, climbing slowly with tail braced against surface, examining bark visually and probing in crevices. Occasionally forages on ground or snow.

Young:   Both parents bring food for nestlings. Young leave nest about 13-16 days after hatching.

Range:   They breed primarily in mature evergreen or mixed evergreen-deciduous forests. You can find them at many elevations, even as high as 11,000 feet at tree line in the West. May migrate in small flocks. In many areas, migration peaks in April and in late September to early October.

Brief Description:   Streaked brown and buff above, with their white underparts usually hidden against a tree trunk, Brown Creepers blend easily into bark. Their brownish heads show a broad, buffy stripe over the eye.