Short-toed Treecreeper

Photo by Momo
Preverenges, VD, Switzerland, May 2006

Certhia brachydactyla

Identification

12·5 cm (5 in)

• Streaked brownish above
• White below
• Long stiff tail feathers
• Long curved bill

Similar Species

Very similar to Eurasian Treecreeper, best told apart by voice..

Distribution

Europe and North Africa. Breeds in the Channel Islands, Spain and France.

Vagrant to mainland Great Britain

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 5 subspecies^[1]:

• C. b. megarhyncha:

• Western Europe (east to west Germany)

• C. b. brachydactyla:

• Continental Europe (east of megarhyncha)

• C. b. mauritanica:

• Morocco, Algeria and north-western Tunisia

• C. b. dorotheae:

• Cyprus

• C. b. harterti:

• Asia Minor and the Caucasus Mountains

Habitat

Parks, gardens, woods - anywhere there are trees.

Behaviour

Breeding

It nests in tree crevices or behind the bark. The clutch consists of up to 6 eggs.

Diet

The diet includes insects and spiders.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Short-toed Treecreeper. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 9 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Short-toed_Treecreeper

External Links

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