Brown Creeper

The Brown Creeper is a  small songbird who calls the greater Houston area home during the fall and winter. This bird is so well camouflaged that it can creep up and down tree trunks looking for insects without being noticed. Unlike woodpeckers who have powerful excavating bills, the Brown Creeper uses its slender curved bill to slip insects out of crevices. It props its long tail against the tree to stabilize itself. There are a couple of other small birds that forage along tree trunks, so look for these differences. The Brown Creeper is cloaked in  finely streaked shades of brown and cream. The nuthatch is not streaked and its back and wings are shades of pale gray to a rich blue gray AND it forages head down. The Black-and-White Warbler is hard to miss since it is boldly striped black and white.