The brown creeper belongs to the family Certhiidae (seven species) of tiny (12–18 cm) songbirds which glean insects from the bark of coniferous trees. They are found in the temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The Saskatchewan bird belongs to a species (Certhia americana) found throughout North America. It nests in the coniferous or mixed forests of the centre, and is seen as a migrant in the wooded areas of the Grasslands. It is difficult to see with its camouflage of brown-striped back and head as it hugs to trees with its tiny feet and short legs. Its small size, striped plumage and down-curved bill may confuse it with a wren or nuthatch, but its habit of feeding around a tree from the bottom to the top and then flying to the base of the next tree, makes it distinctive.
Diane Secoy