The brown creeper den (Certhia Americana) is a special triangular shaped artificial den. Its design adapts to the typical lifestyle of certhia . The entrance opening located in the upper part of the den on both sides is not accessible by flying, but by holding onto the trunk of the tree perpendicularly. They got their name from this special movement. With their strong, clawed legs, they are excellent at clinging to the bark and crevices of trees, and they get their food by “crawling” on tree trunks. They get their food from beetles, ants, leaf beetles, bugs and spiders lurking in the grooves of the bark. In our country, their common representatives are the short-toed treecreeper and wood nuthatch.
Short-toed treecreeper.(Certhia brachydactyla)
Our permanent bird and permanent nester, breeds twice a year, the second breeding period ends at the end of June. After rearing the second nestling, it begins to wander, in which case we can meet it in areas further from its nesting place. It is difficult to distinguish from its relative, the mountain tree creeper, based on its external features, and their different songs can help in separating them. It captures its prey animals by moving along the trunks and thick branches of trees, by leaping in a straight line upwards from the base of the trees, or by clinging upward in a spiral line around the trunk of the tree. Protected in Hungary.
Wood Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
This bird similar size to the creeper belongs to the pessarine family. It is easy to recognize from its bluish-grey coat, rust-brown belly and black stripe running through its eyes almost to the base of its wings. Our permanent bird, from spring to autumn, feeds on umbels, insects, spiders, and with the onset of cold weather, seeds and berries. Its special feature is that, unlike other creeper species, it can also move upside down on tree trunks. Protected in Hungary
Do you know What makes a nuthatch nest look “dull, lazy” at first glance?
Unlike most burrowing birds, the nutchatch does not make a stable outer frame (nest cup) for its nest, it lays its eggs on a pile made of small pieces of wood chips and leaves.