Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)

OTHER NAMES: American Treecreeper
Latin Etymology: Certhia (bird mentioned by Aristotle) americana ("American")  

Adult Brown Creeper (subspecies C. a. zelotes) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Certhia ameicana zelotes
Weight: 5.7-8.5g  /  Length: 12-14cm  /  Wingspan: 17-20cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Brown Creeper is the sole Treecreeper species of North America, and ranges over much of the continent, although split into two broad subspecies groups by latitude. It is very similar to the two European species of Treecreeper, and was formerly considered a subspecies of the Common. They prefer trees with deeply furrowed bark as this forms the habitat for the invertibrates they feed on.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Certhiidae
Genus: Certhia
SUBSPECIES: C. a. alascensis, C. a. americana, C. a. leucostricta, C. a. montana, C. a. nigrescens, C. a. occidentalis, C. a. phillpsi, C. a. stewarti, C. a. zelotes, C. a. alticola, C. a. guerrerensis, C. a. jaliscensis, C. a. pernigra, C. a. extima, C. a. albescens

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Resident along Pacific Coast, North East and Rockies, Non-breeding elsewhere
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at  Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Short-Toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Certhia (bird mentioned by Aristotle) brachydactyla ("short toed")

                                       Adult Short-Toed Treecreeper (subspecies C. b. megarhyncha) at El Pardo, Spain - April 2016

Featured Subspecies: Certhia bracydactyla megarhyncha

Weight: 7.5-11g  /  Length: 12.7cm  /  Wingspan: 21cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

While visually very similar to Eurasian Treecreeper, the Short-Toed Treecreeper is a subtly cifferent and related species found on mainland Europe.  Personally, this isn't a species I wold feel confident separating in the field in the many parts of Europe where they overlap, but, fortunately for me the Short-Toed Treecreeper is absent from the British Isles (though it is found on the Channel Isles) while in much of Spain, including Madrid, the Short-Toed is the only species present.  However, with this picture you can see one of the more obvious diagnostic features; compared to the Common Treecreeper, the white bar on the wing has even serrations rather that erratic ones. There are also subtle differences in colour and dimensions and a different song.

Related Species:
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Certhiidae
Genus: Certhia
Subspecies: C, b, megarhyncha, C. b. brachydactyl, C. b mauritanica, C. b dorotheae, C. b. harterti

 - Sighting Locations -

SPAIN - Spanish -  Agateador común ("Common Crawler")

Locally common resident

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP:  Seen in small numbers around the river at El Pardo 

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, UCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Eurasian Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris)

OTHER NAMES: Treecreeper, Common Treecreeper

Latin Etymology: Certhia (bird mentioned by Aristotle) familiaris ("familiar/friendly")

Adult Eurasian Treecreeper (subspecies C. f. britannica) at Brigstock, Northants - May 2012

Featured Subspecies: Certhia familiaris britannica
Weight: 8-12g  /  Length: 12.5cm  /  Wingspan: 17-21cm

UK GREEN LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

The Eurasian Treecreeper is a woodland specialist most often found climbing up the trunks of trees from where it picks its food. It is a well camouflaged bird, and can be a bit difficult to spot if you aren't used to them, but once you are used to it it often seems like they can turn up on any tree anywhere. As they are often in the thick of branches they can be a bit tricky to photograph, but persevere and you'll almost certainly eventually encounter a more approachable one. In colder months, look near tit flocks, which they sometimes seem to accompany.

Related Species: 
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Certhiidae
Genus: Certhia
Subspecies: C. f. britannica, C. f. macrodactyla, C. f. corsa, C. f. familiaris, C. f. daurica, C. f. orientalis, C. f. japonica, C. f. persica, C. f. tianschanica, C. f. bianchii  

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Breeding resident (200,000 territories)

 - Birds seen at sites including Geddington and Brigstock.

   

Further Notes: Birdforum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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