Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Brown Creeper

One of the unexpected pleasures of the COVID year has been the opportunity to pay more attention to the birds around our homes. Last week someone mentioned to me a small brown bird he had noticed on a tree outside his window. It had a thin, slightly decurved bill, he said, and he wondered if it might be a wren of some sort. I seriously doubted that possibility, thought a moment, then remembered a bird of similar description that I had spotted on the trunk of a bur oak outside our bedroom that very week: a Brown Creeper (Certhia americana). When I showed my friend the species in a field guide, he agreed that it was the bird he had seen.

Actually, it’s a bit late for Brown Creeper sightings in the Barrington area. They appear most often during spring and fall migration, especially in the months of April and October. But some do linger in this latitude, especially when the temperatures are mild as they have been this fall, and may continue all winter.

The Brown Creeper is well named: it’s brown (with white underparts) and its distinctive habit is to creep up tree trunks in spiral fashion, braced by its long, spiny tail, and foraging in bark crevices for insects. Once it has crept sufficiently far – and I’m not sure how that is determined! – it flies to the base of a nearby tree trunk and starts the process all over again.

It is so very easy to miss the bird. It is cryptically colored, that is, it bears plumage that gives it excellent camouflage against the trunk of a tree. Over the years I have developed a special affection for the species because the challenge of spotting it makes success especially sweet. This year I have seen more creepers than I ever recall. I doubt that it’s a matter of a larger population, but rather that I am paying more attention to bird activity.

Birds of Barrington – Brown Creeper (Certhia Americana)

Two family encounters with Brown Creepers are rooted in my memory. The first occurred when our son was two. He was mastering words that began with b – baby, boy, ball, bird. He pointed out the window from his seat in a high chair one morning to a nearby tree. An uncle who was in the room asked, “What is it, Merritt?”, expecting him to say “bee”, his word for bird. But Merritt shot back immediately, “Bwown Creepuh!” The uncle was impressed, and so was I. The surprising response ignited a happy thought that perhaps we had a young ornithologist in the making.

The second incident took place about three years ago with the younger daughter of the same son. She has a genuine interest in birds and we often take walks together to see what avian neighbors we can find near her Oregon home. On one of those outings through a moist woodland, she spotted movement low in the vegetation. I thought it was probably a Pacific Wren. We stopped and waited and in a few seconds the bird emerged from behind what looked like bark on the tree trunk. It was not a wren but a Brown Creeper. We watched it fly away and return and disappear behind the bark several times. I suspected we were watching nesting activity. I did some research that afternoon and found that, in fact, the Brown Creeper often does nest behind loose bark on trees. From that special discovery in our granddaughter’s neighborhood woodland, the species has become one of our favorite birds.

The Brown Creeper is not known to nest in the Barrington area, though there are breeding records from nearby locales such as Ryerson Woods and Kankakee. But as a regular, though uncommon, winter visitor, it’s a species to stay alert for – not in the air, not on the ground, nor even usually on a tree limb, but silently spiraling its way up the side of a mature oak or hickory.

Birds of Barrington – Brown Creeper (Certhia Americana)

About Wendy Paulson

Wendy Paulson has lived in Barrington Hills since 1975, and has led bird walks in the area for many years. She re-established the Nature Lady program in the Barrington 220 school district and St. Anne’s in the late 70s, under the auspices of The Garden Club and Little Garden Club of Barrington. Wendy developed the education program for Citizens for Conservation, initiated and edited its newsletter, and has been an active volunteer with CFC for over 30 years.

During interludes in New York City and Washington, DC, Wendy taught classes about birds in the public schools and is helping to develop a similar program in Chicago public schools with Openlands. She is chairman of The Bobolink Foundation, serves on the board or advisory committee of multiple conservation and bird-related organizations, both domestic and international, and is former chairman of IL and NY chapters of The Nature Conservancy.

Wendy and her husband Hank have two grown children and are avid hikers, cyclists, and kayakers.

CLICK HERE to explore all of the local bird profiles Wendy has authored in our Birds of Barrington series at 365Barrington.com.

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Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | American Woodcock

Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Common Merganser

Barrington Area Spring Bird Walks & Hikes with Wendy Paulson

Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | American Tree Sparrow

Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Golden-crowned Kinglet

Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Blue Jay

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Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Black-billed Cuckoo

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Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Wood Duck

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365. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Great Horned Owl

311. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Pied-billed Grebe

266. New Schedule of Fall Bird Hikes With Wendy Paulson

265. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Common Nighthawk

235. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Cedar Waxwing

200. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Indigo Bunting

164. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Scarlet Tanager

163. Stunning Photos Captured During Annual Baker’s Lake Island Rookery Bird Count

126. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Eastern Towhee

97. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Return of the Red-winged Blackbird

61. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: The Upside-Down Bird

60. New Season of Spring Bird Walks & Hikes with Naturalist Wendy Paulson

43. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Downy Woodpecker Yawns at Dawn

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5. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: Red-tailed Hawk

321. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: The Sandhill Crane

278. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

248. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Call of the Killdeer

228. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Barn Swallows Signal Autumn’s Approach

199. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington: Eastern Kingbird

153. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Baltimore Oriole

126. Wendy Paulson Highlights The Great Blue Heron, Barrington’s Official Town Bird

125. Hands of Hope’s 14th Annual Barrington Country Garden & Antique Faire

89. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Eastern Meadowlark, the Flautist of Prairies

66. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Northern Cardinal

64. Barrington Spring Bird Walks with Wendy Paulson

36. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Black-Capped Chickadee

18. Christmas Trees Transported to Refresh Nests at Baker’s Lake Rookery

337. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | ‘Tis the Season for Snowbirds

279. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Eastern Bluebird

201. Fall Bird Walks Scheduled with Wendy Paulson

186. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | The Bobolink

116. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Great Egret Spotting at Baker’s Lake

84. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | Finding the Northern Flicker

72. Wendy Paulson’s Birds of Barrington | An Eye on the Eastern Phoebe

60. Citizens for Conservation Spring Bird Hikes

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