Treecreepers · Perching birds
Short-toed Treecreeper
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Certhia brachydactyla
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Voice
Call
Song
Call
How to recognize it
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12 cm, tit-sized
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Brown-grey back with mottling, whitish underparts
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Long downcurved bill, stiff tail used as a brace
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"tsee-tsee", creeps up trunks in short spiral hops
About the species
Brown above and white below, the Short-toed Treecreeper has bark-like streaking on its back and a pale stripe behind the eye. Its long, down-curved bill and stiff tail give it a very tree-trunk look, even before it starts moving.
It climbs in short hops, working its way up a trunk while probing bark for insects and spiders. The call is a thin, repeated "tiht-tiht", and the song is a quick, simple run of notes. It is not shy around people, but its plain plumage and quiet habits make it easy to overlook.
It uses woodlands with good-sized trees, especially deciduous stands, and also turns up in parks and gardens with fruit trees. Most of the year it stays in place across Europe and north Africa, feeding mainly on insects, with a few seeds added in colder months.
Where to find
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In mature deciduous parks with old oaks and lindens, the Short-toed Treecreeper slips up the trunk and gives a soft, repeated “tyt-tyt”.
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Along tree-lined paths with rough bark, look for it spiraling upward from the base of a trunk in short hops.
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By old stone walls, bridges, and towers with cracks and crevices, it may probe the masonry for insects.
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In orchards, courtyard trees, and fruit-heavy garden corners, it climbs apple or pear trunks from the ground up, almost glued to the bark.
