Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla (Brehm, 1820))
Scientific name: Certhia brachydactyla (Brehm, 1820)
Common name: Short-toed Treecreeper
Other names: Grimpereau brachydactyle
French name: Grimpereau des jardins
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Certhiidae
Size: Size: 12 to 13,5 cm; Weight : 8 à 12 g.
Habitat: Woodlands, open woodlands, parks and gardens, orchards. It lives in both plains and mountains.
Food: The Short-toed Treecreeper feeds on insects, spiders and molluscs captured on the bark of trunks.
Nesting: The nest is made up of twigs, moss and grass. It is located in tree crevices, behind bark flakes or hidden behind ivy. It is sometimes located in hole in an old wall. Females lay 6 or 7 eggs between April and June. There is sometimes two broods per year.
Migration: Sedentary.
Geographic area: Europe, mainly in temperate areas, missing from Island and from the British Isles. North Africa.
The Short-toed Treecreeper's plumage is the same colour as tree bark.
It has a long stiff tail which help it creep up tree trunks. It has also a thin and long curved bill.
The underside of the body is whitish. It has white eye-brows.
It mainly differs from its cousin, the Common Treecreeper, by its song.
The Common Treecreepr has also a longer nail on hind toe. The eye-brows are sharper and the underside of the body is whiter.
The Short-toed Treecreeper moves upwards on trunks, looking for food. A soon as it reaches the top of the tree, it makes a short flight down to the bottom of another tree in the neighbourhood and creeps upwards again.

Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla) - Yvelines, France - February 22nd 2007
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Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
I came to this pond planning to take some pictures of water birds ((Herons, Grebes, Coots, Cormorants, …).
But on this day, the Treecreepers were the centre of attraction. I hadn't to hide to take the pictures.
This is one thing that makes wildlife photography so enjoyable. You plan to observe particular species and what you see is totally different.


Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla) - Yvelines, France - February 22nd 2007
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Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
The Short-toed Treecreeper pushes on its tail's feathers to creep up on trunks.


Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla) - Yvelines, France - February 22nd 2007
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Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
There is still a small risk of confusion with the Common Creeper.
I must learn to identify bird's songs and then I will come back here to listen.

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