Quick Answer
Brown creepers do not typically come to bird feeders, as they mainly eat insects that they find while climbing up tree trunks. However, they may occasionally visit suet feeders or platform feeders with mealworms. Overall, brown creepers prefer to forage naturally rather than visit backyard feeders.
Do Brown Creepers Eat at Bird Feeders?
Brown creepers are small songbirds that forage by spiraling up the trunks of trees, using their long curved bills to pluck insects and spiders from crevices in the bark. They rarely come down to the ground and are not attracted to most backyard bird feeders. Here are some key points about brown creepers and bird feeders:
- Brown creepers predominantly eat insects, not seeds or nuts. Their diet consists of spiders, beetles, moth larvae, ants, aphids, and other small invertebrates.
- They do not eat suet or peanut butter, which are high-energy foods enjoyed by woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees.
- Platform feeders with black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seeds, or safflower seeds do not appeal to them.
- Hopper or tube feeders stocked with mixed birdseed or thistle also do not attract brown creepers.
- They only occasionally visit suet feeders to glean any insect larvae or eggs.
- Mealworms offered at platform feeders may entice brown creepers at times, but they primarily find their own animal prey in trees.
Overall, brown creepers are not regular visitors at backyard bird feeders. They prefer to forage naturally on tree trunks and branches for insects and invertebrates hidden in the bark. Food sources offered at feeders do not match their natural diet.
Why Don’t Brown Creepers Come to Feeders More Often?
Brown creepers have several key characteristics and behaviors that explain why they do not frequent backyard feeders:
- They are highly specialized at foraging for small insects and spiders up and down tree trunks and rarely feed on the ground.
- Their diet is almost exclusively carnivorous, composed of tiny invertebrate prey rather than seeds, nuts, or fruits.
- They are solitary birds that do not flock together, unlike chickadees, titmice, or nuthatches.
- They are shy, quiet, and inconspicuous as they camouflage against tree bark while creeping up trunks.
- They consume a very small amount of food each day to meet their metabolic needs.
- Their curved bills are adapted for probing into crevices of bark, not for cracking hard seeds.
- They prefer to stay hidden and well-camouflaged while foraging, not out in the open at feeders.
Brown creepers have evolved over time to be highly efficient at finding tiny insects and spiders on the bark of trees. Backyard feeders supplying seeds, nuts, or suet simply do not match their dietary requirements or foraging behaviors. They may occasionally stop at suet feeders but primarily find all the small prey they need while moving stealthily up tree trunks.
What Kind of Bird Feeders Do Brown Creepers Use?
While brown creepers are not frequent visitors, they may occasionally come to the following types of bird feeders:
Suet Feeders
Suet feeders supply high-fat suet cakes made from rendered beef fat, peanut butter, grains, seeds, and nuts. Brown creepers are drawn to suet mainly to eat insect larvae and eggs in the cakes, not the suet itself. Suet offers a good source of winter protein when insects are scarce.
Mealworm Feeders
Mealworms offered at specialized feeders or simple platform feeders may attract brown creepers. Mealworms provide a high-fat, high-protein diet similar to their natural insect prey. However, brown creepers still prefer finding living insects on trees rather than visiting feeders.
Bark Butter Feeders
Bark butter is a suet-based spread containing nuts, seeds, and berries invented specifically to attract brown creepers. Offered in small trays attached to tree trunks, bark butter can bring in brown creepers although they mainly consume the insect larvae in the bark butter, not the seeds or fruit.
Overall, brown creepers are not reliable feeder birds. While suet, mealworms, and bark butter may draw them in at times, they predominantly find all their food by foraging on live trees. They prefer their natural diet of insects and spiders rather than visiting feeders stocked with substitute foods.
Tips for Attracting Brown Creepers to Your Feeders
If you wish to bring brown creepers into your yard, here are some tips:
- Offer suet feeders with insect-based suet cakes, especially in winter when insects are scarce.
- Try mealworm feeders stocked with live or dried mealworms.
- Install small trays or containers of bark butter on tree trunks at eye level.
- Situate feeders near trees, stumps, and wooded edges of your yard.
- Avoid competing species like woodpeckers and nuthatches by using feeders with weight-sensitive perches.
- Use feeders designed with protection from larger aggressive birds.
- Place feeders near areas where you’ve seen brown creepers foraging.
- Pair suet or mealworm feeders with bird baths for drinking and bathing.
Be patient, as brown creepers are shy and will take time to discover and feel comfortable visiting any feeders near their foraging trees. Maintaining a diversity of healthy trees and snags will always be more effective for attracting brown creepers to your yard than feeders alone.
Conclusion
Brown creepers are highly specialized bark-foraging birds that eat primarily insects and spiders. They do not regularly visit backyard bird feeders stocked with mixed seeds, peanut butter, nuts, or fruit. However, brown creepers may occasionally come to suet feeders with insect-laden suet cakes or mealworm feeders. Specialty products like bark butter also aim to provide essential nutrition from invertebrates. Ultimately though, brown creepers prefer finding prey the natural way—by creeping up the bark of live and dead trees. Attracting these birds is best accomplished by nurturing a habitat with trees of different ages and species. Healthy woodlands draw brown creepers into your yard better than any feeder can.
