Michigan · Year-round resident

Brown Creepers in Michigan

When brown creepers are present in Michigan, when they nest, which native Michigan plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 4a–6b yard.

Treecreepers (Certhiidae)Brown CreeperCerthia americana

Status in Michigan: Year-round resident
Nesting window: May–June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 4a–6b

When to expect brown creepers in Michigan

Brown Creepers live in Michigan all year. Lake-effect snow and long cold spells; Purple Finches breed in the north and winter farther south. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward overwintering insects; some suet.

Humid continental, strongly shaped by the Great Lakes; colder and snowier in the Upper Peninsula.

Nesting in Michigan

Across Michigan, 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.

A compressed nesting season; bluebirds usually manage one or two broods.

Brown Creepers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as eastern hemlock, flowering dogwood, serviceberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Native Michigan plants that attract brown creepers

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

Eastern hemlock

Tsuga canadensis · Tree

Seeds and dense winter shelter.

Flowering dogwood

Cornus florida · Tree

Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

American elderberry

Sambucus canadensis · Shrub

Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.

Arrowwood viburnum

Viburnum dentatum · Shrub

Blue-black fall fruit and dense nesting cover.

Feeding brown creepers through the Michigan year

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

Best foods: Suet, Peanut butter mix spread on bark.
In Michigan's winter: Lake-effect snow and long cold spells; Purple Finches breed in the north and winter farther south.

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

Frequently asked

Are brown creepers in Michigan year-round?

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

When do brown creepers nest in Michigan?

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

What native plants attract brown creepers in Michigan?

Eastern hemlock, Flowering dogwood, Serviceberry, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry, American elderberry, Arrowwood viburnum are native plants in Michigan that provide food or cover for brown creepers.

Other backyard birds in Michigan

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Wood Thrush Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay 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.