Short-toed Treecreeper Bird Facts (Certhia brachydactyla)

The Short-toed Treecreeper is a small, brown bird with a slender, curved bill and stiff tail feathers. Its upperparts are mottled brown, providing excellent camouflage against tree bark, while the underparts are predominantly white with a buff tinge.

Both sexes look alike, with no significant seasonal plumage changes. Juveniles closely resemble adults but may have slightly more diffuse markings and a shorter bill.

The Short-toed Treecreeper can be found in Woodland habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper can be found in Garden habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper can be found in Urban habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Grassland habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Desert habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

The Short-toed Treecreeper is not typically found in Savanna habitats.

Short-toed Treecreepers are found throughout much of western and southern Europe, including parts of North Africa and the Middle East. They inhabit deciduous and mixed woodlands, parks, and mature gardens with large trees.

In the UK, they are primarily found in southern and eastern England, with some populations in Wales. Their range has been expanding northward in recent decades, possibly due to climate change.

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Short-toed Treecreeper. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons

Species that are present in the area during their breeding season

Albania Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia Montenegro Poland Russia Serbia

Species that appear infrequently (rare) and unpredictably outside their normal range

Sweden Syria

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Bird Attributes Explained

Our bird attributes system rates various aspects of a bird's capabilities on a scale of 0-100, based on data from field observations, scientific studies, and expert knowledge.

Attribute Categories:

Agility: Manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.
Strength: Physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.
Adaptability: Ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.
Aggressiveness: Territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.
Endurance: Stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

Understanding the Ratings:

0-20: Very Low
21-40: Low
41-60: Average
61-80: High
81-100: Very High

Remember, these attributes are relative to other bird species and don't necessarily indicate superiority.

Agility

Reflects the bird's manoeuvrability, speed, and grace in flight or movement.

The Short-toed Treecreeper displays remarkable agility, expertly spiralling up tree trunks and navigating vertical surfaces with ease. Their specialised feet and stiff tail feathers enable precise movements when foraging and climbing.

Strength

Indicates the bird's physical power, often correlating with size and hunting abilities.

As a small bird weighing between 7.5-11g, the Short-toed Treecreeper has limited strength. However, it possesses enough power to cling to bark and extract insects from crevices using its curved bill.

Adaptability

Represents the bird's ability to thrive in various environments or changing conditions.

These birds show good adaptability, inhabiting various woodland types, parks, and even urban gardens with mature trees. Their expanding range northward suggests an ability to adjust to changing environmental conditions.

Aggressiveness

Measures the bird's territorial behaviour and assertiveness, particularly during breeding seasons.

Short-toed Treecreepers are generally non-aggressive, often solitary or found in pairs. They may engage in territorial disputes during breeding season, but overall exhibit low aggression levels compared to many bird species.

Endurance

Reflects the bird's stamina, often seen in migration patterns or foraging behaviours.

While not long-distance migrants, these birds demonstrate good endurance in their continuous foraging activities, climbing trees throughout the day. Their ability to raise two broods per season also indicates decent stamina.

The Short-toed Treecreeper's diet consists primarily of small invertebrates found on tree bark. They feed on insects, spiders, and their eggs and larvae, which they extract from crevices using their specialised curved bill.

In winter, they may occasionally supplement their diet with small seeds.

Short-toed Treecreepers exhibit a distinctive spiralling movement as they climb up tree trunks, using their stiff tail feathers for support. They forage by probing into bark crevices with their specialised curved bills.

These birds are generally solitary or found in pairs, occasionally joining mixed-species flocks outside the breeding season.

The Short-toed Treecreeper's call is a high-pitched, thin 'tsee-tsee-tsee'. Their song is a series of high, tinkling notes, often described as 'tit-tit-tit-e-tit'.

During territorial disputes, they may produce a rapid, trilling 'srrri-srrri-srrri' sound.

Breeding season for Short-toed Treecreepers typically begins in April. Males establish territories and attract females with their songs and display flights.

Nests are built behind loose bark or in tree crevices, constructed from twigs, bark strips, and moss, lined with feathers and hair. Females lay 5-6 white eggs with reddish-brown spots.

Incubation lasts about 14-15 days, primarily by the female. Both parents feed the nestlings, which fledge after 15-17 days. Pairs often raise two broods per season.

The Short-toed Treecreeper typically lives for 2 to 3 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 5.9 years.

Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.

While the Short-toed Treecreeper is currently listed as Least Concern, it faces localised threats from habitat loss and fragmentation.

Conservation efforts focus on preserving mature woodlands and maintaining a diverse age structure in managed forests to ensure suitable foraging and nesting sites.

Look for their characteristic spiralling movement up tree trunks
Listen for their high-pitched, thin calls
Search in mature woodlands with large, rough-barked trees
Observe carefully, as they can be easily confused with the similar Eurasian Treecreeper

Main predators include sparrowhawks, domestic cats, and small mammals such as pine martens and squirrels. Nest predators may include woodpeckers and some corvids.

Short-toed Treecreepers can climb up vertical surfaces using their specialised feet and stiff tail feathers.
They are one of the few bird species that almost never climb down trees, instead flying to the base to start over.
Their thin, curved bill is perfectly adapted for probing bark crevices for insects.

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