Brown Creepers in New Mexico

Brown Creepers live in New Mexico all year. Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations. That makes the cold months the time your yard matters most to them: their winter diet shifts toward overwintering insects; some suet.

Arid to semi-arid, with Chihuahuan desert in the south and mountain forest above 7,000 ft.

Across New Mexico, 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 early summer followed by the July–August monsoon.

• Brown Creepers don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as black cherry, american elderberry, chokecherry for nest sites.
• Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after June.

Of the regional native plants we track for New Mexico, 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 New Mexico's winter: Cold nights and sunny days; many desert and mountain birds move to lower elevations.

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