Short-toed treecreeper

The short-toed treecreeper is a small bird thriving in woodlands across Europe and North Africa. Unlike its close relative, the common treecreeper, it prefers deciduous trees and lower altitudes. You’ll often find it nesting in tree crevices and primarily feeding on insects it picks from tree trunks.

Though its subtle plumage may not immediately catch your eye, its curved bill and stiff tail feathers are distinctive features. There are five subspecies of the short-toed treecreeper, each exhibiting slight variations in appearance and song.

Belonging to the genus Certhia, the short-toed treecreeper shares similarities with the North American brown creeper. Its call is high-pitched, and its song is evenly spaced. This species breeds in temperate woodlands throughout Europe and North Africa, favoring mature trees like oak while avoiding pure conifer stands.

In terms of nesting, the short-toed treecreeper lays 5-7 eggs in tree crevices. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for about 13-15 days. Once hatched, the downy chicks are fed by their parents and are ready to leave the nest after 15-18 days. The bird feeds on invertebrates found on tree trunks, using its tail for support while spiraling up the tree. It exhibits a unique flight pattern and tends to be solitary during the winter months.

With an estimated population of 4.1-14 million individuals, the short-toed treecreeper is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. It is quite common throughout most of its range, although it is rare in places like the Caucasus and the smaller Channel Islands. Interestingly, its range is expanding northward, even reaching Denmark.