Brown Creepers in Idaho

Brown Creepers live in Idaho all year. Cold winters with inversions in the valleys; mountain finches and Bohemian Waxwings move into towns. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward overwintering insects; some suet.

Semi-arid sagebrush plains along the Snake River and forested mountains to the north and center.

Across Idaho, brown creepers typically nest from May–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.

Hot, dry summers in the Snake River Plain and cool mountain summers.

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

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

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

• Best foods: Suet, Peanut butter mix spread on bark.
• In Idaho's winter: Cold winters with inversions in the valleys; mountain finches and Bohemian Waxwings move into towns.

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