Nebraskaland

Nebraskaland December 2021

NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.

Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1433144

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12 Nebraskaland • December 2021 IN THE FIELD By Joel G. Jorgensen CREEPIN' By late fall most of the songbirds that summer in or migrate through Nebraska are gone for the year, but one odd and uncommon bird should be looked for from October onward. The brown creeper is North America's only treecreeper. These birds do exactly as their name implies: move or "creep" up the trunks and branches of trees in a fashion similar to woodpeckers. They usually start low on a tree and work their way up and then make a short flight to another tree and repeat the process over and over. Brown creepers are small, cryptically-colored and usually quiet other than their high-pitched calls, which are easily ignored. Lone brown creepers often are observed in loose feeding flocks of common songbirds that include black-capped chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches and woodpeckers in wooded areas and suburban spaces. Unlike those species that seem to be seeking attention from birdwatchers with loud calls and distinctive plumages, the brown creeper shies away from attention or shameless self-promotion. This species also is not on the guest list of birds expected to make regular appearances at bird feeders or even bird baths. Brown creepers are never common in Nebraska, so anytime the species is encountered, one should take a few moments to appreciate this peculiar little bird. A brown creeper's life essentially revolves around tree bark. Creeping birds spend most of their time using their sharp, thin curved bill to probe the grooves in the bark of trees for insects and insect larvae. However, the brown creeper's relationship with bark does not end there, as their nests are typically located in the small space between a tree trunk and the bark that is sloughing off a dying, large tree. Brown creepers are primarily spring and fall migrants and winter visitors in Nebraska, but they do occasionally nest in the Pine Ridge, Middle Niobrara River region or at sites along the Missouri River, such as Fontenelle Forest. Being easily overlooked, they may be a more common breeder than the few records we have of them indicate. However, most of the brown creepers seen in Nebraska during migration and winter likely breed in the boreal forests of Canada. So this fall or winter, feel free to give those big trees along your favorite path in the woods a few closer looks for this shy, but nifty, little gem. PHIL SWANSON

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