Montana · Year-round resident

Brown Creepers in Montana

When brown creepers are present in Montana, when they nest, which native Montana plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3a–6a yard.

Treecreepers (Certhiidae)Brown CreeperCerthia americana

Status in Montana: Year-round resident
Nesting window: June
Broods: 1 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3a–6a

When to expect brown creepers in Montana

Brown Creepers live in Montana all year. Very cold winters on the plains, with chinook winds bringing sudden thaws. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward overwintering insects; some suet.

Continental — Rocky Mountain forest in the west, semi-arid Great Plains in the east.

Nesting in Montana

Across Montana, 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, dry summers and a short growing season.

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

Native Montana plants that attract brown creepers

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

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

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

Tall goldenrod

Solidago altissima · Perennial

Insect-rich in fall and seed in winter.

Paper birch

Betula papyrifera · Tree

Catkin seed feeds redpolls and siskins all winter.

Chokecherry

Prunus virginiana · Shrub

Dark summer fruit and heavy caterpillar load.

Common hackberry

Celtis occidentalis · Tree

Sweet dry fruit on the branch all winter.

Ponderosa pine

Pinus ponderosa · Tree

Seeds and bark insects; pygmy nuthatch and woodpecker habitat.

Rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa · Shrub

Late-season bloom supports insects; seed for sparrows.

Douglas fir

Pseudotsuga menziesii · Tree

Seed for crossbills, siskins and chickadees.

Feeding brown creepers through the Montana year

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

Best foods: Suet, Peanut butter mix spread on bark.
In Montana's winter: Very cold winters on the plains, with chinook winds bringing sudden thaws.

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

Frequently asked

Are brown creepers in Montana year-round?

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

When do brown creepers nest in Montana?

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

What native plants attract brown creepers in Montana?

Bur oak, Tall goldenrod, Paper birch, Chokecherry, Common hackberry, Ponderosa pine, Rabbitbrush, Douglas fir are native plants in Montana that provide food or cover for brown creepers.

Other backyard birds in Montana

Black-capped Chickadee Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren House Finch Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Red-breasted Nuthatch Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Steller's Jay Black-billed Magpie Canada Jay Mountain Chickadee Chestnut-backed Chickadee Pygmy Nuthatch Black-chinned Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Cassin's Finch Spotted Towhee Western Bluebird Mountain Bluebird Say's Phoebe White-crowned Sparrow Fox Sparrow Varied Thrush Violet-green Swallow Black-headed Grosbeak 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.