Alberta · Year-round resident

Brown Creepers in Alberta

When brown creepers are present in Alberta, when they nest, which native Alberta plants feed them, and how to host them in a Canada 2a–4b yard.

Treecreepers (Certhiidae)Brown CreeperCerthia americana

Status in Alberta: Year-round resident
Nesting window: June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: Canada 2a–4b

When to expect brown creepers in Alberta

Brown Creepers live in Alberta all year. Cold winters broken by chinook thaws in the south. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward overwintering insects; some suet.

Continental — prairie in the southeast, aspen parkland in the center, boreal forest in the north and the Rockies in the west.

Nesting in Alberta

Across Alberta, brown creepers typically nest from June. Nest site: hammock nest behind loose bark on dead trees. Females lay 5–6 eggs, incubate for 13–17 days, and young leave the nest after 13–16 days.

Warm, sunny summers with long days.

Brown Creepers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as paper birch, chokecherry, rabbitbrush for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Alberta plants that attract brown creepers

Of the regional native plants we track for Alberta, these 8 provide food or cover brown creepers use:

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa · Shrub

Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.

Douglas fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii · Tree

Seed for crossbills, siskins and chickadees.

Balsam fir

Abies balsamea · Tree

Spruce-budworm habitat and dense winter roosting cover.

White spruce

Picea glauca · Tree

Cone crops drive winter irruptions of finches and crossbills.

Tamarack

Larix laricina · Tree

Deciduous conifer with small cones for siskins and redpolls.

Willow (Bebb)

Salix bebbiana · Shrub

Early catkins draw insects for arriving warblers and hummingbirds.

Feeding brown creepers through the Alberta year

Creepers rarely use feeders but will take suet smeared on rough bark.

Best foods: Suet, Peanut butter mix spread on bark.
In Alberta's winter: Cold winters broken by chinook thaws in the south.

Full diet breakdown for brown creepers · Best feeder for brown creepers

Frequently asked

Are brown creepers in Alberta year-round?

Yes. Brown Creepers are year-round residents in Alberta.

When do brown creepers nest in Alberta?

Nesting in Alberta typically runs June, with 1 per season. Clutches are 5–6 eggs, incubated for 13–17 days.

What native plants attract brown creepers in Alberta?

Paper birch, Chokecherry, Rabbitbrush, Douglas fir, Balsam fir, White spruce, Tamarack, Willow (Bebb) are native plants in Alberta that provide food or cover for brown creepers.

Other backyard birds in Alberta

Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Yellow-rumped Warbler Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Rufous Hummingbird Spotted Towhee Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush Violet-green Swallow Lazuli Bunting Bullock's Oriole Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.