Certhiidae - Treecreepers

Treecreepers are small, brown, almost mouse-like birds with a habit of running up (rarely down) tree-trunks. Although they are relatively common, their quiet unobtrusive manners mean they often go undetected. Treecreepers have strong legs and feet, with long, deeply curved claws, stiffened tail feathers (which are used for support) and a fine down-curved bill. They mostly search for insects hidden under bark or in little crevices in the trunk. Intriguingly, bill and claw length of individuals does vary significantly between the seasons, which is thought to be an adaptation to maximise foraging efficiency.

Regularly Occurring Species

Treecreeper

Occasional Visitors

Short-toed Treecreeper

Biodiversity loss and the UK’s birds

Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest drivers of bird population declines in the UK. Learn what we’re doing to tackle this threat to nature and how you can support our work.

Blog

BirdTrack migration blog – early spring

It may still feel like winter but for some species, the increasing temperatures and lengthening days have already kick-started spring migration, with birds starting to arrive and depart across Britain and Ireland.

Event

Raptor ID (2 sessions, Wednesdays 7pm)

The training will consist of two weekly online sessions of about 2 hours each, complemented by supported self-study exercises which will be provided after each session. The training will be run by BTO staff members Nick...