Rocky-Mountain Creeper 497 



Genus CERTHIA. 



Characters of the family ; only one species in the United States, 

 separated into several geographical races. 



Rocky- Mountain Creeper. Certhia familiaris montana. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 726 — Colorado Records — Ridgway 73, p. 180 ; 

 Trippe 74, p. 230 ; Henshaw 75, p. 177 ; Drew 81, p. 88 ; 85, p. 15 ; 

 Allen & Brewster 83, p. 154 ; Beckham 87, p. 123 ; Morrison 88, p. 72 ; 

 Kellogg 90, p. 89 ; Lowe 94, p. 270 ; Cooke 97, pp. 121, 222 ; Henderson 

 03, p. 108 ; 09, p. 241 ; Gihnan 07, p. 195 ; Rockwell 08, p. 178. 



Description. — Adult — General colour above dusky brown, streaked 

 with white ; rump and upper tail-coverts rufous, with slaty bases and 

 white spots to the feathers ; wings dusky with white spots on the 

 coverts and remiges ; a more or less clearly defined white eyebrow ; 

 below almost pure white, very faintly tinged with buffy posteriorly ; 

 iris bro'mi, bill dusky brown, paler at the base of the lower mandible, 

 legs brownish. Length 4-90 ; wing 2-5 ; tail 2-6 ; culmen -52 ; tarsus -59. 



The sexes are alike and the young closely resemble the adults. 



Distribution. — The Rocky Mountain region from Alaska to New 

 Mexico and Arizona ; on migration to south-eastern California and 

 perhaps to northern Mexico, but generally a resident throughout the 

 year. In Colorado the Creeper is found all the year round, chiefly 

 between 7,000 and 9,000 feet in winter, and from 9,000 feet to timber 

 line in simnmer, but it may be met with almost anywhere from the 

 foothills to timber line at almost any season. The following are 

 breeding records : Estes Park at timber line (Kellogg), Boulder co., 

 9,000 to 11,000 feet (Gale), Idaho Springs, at timber hno (Trippe), 

 near Fort Garland (Henshaw), San Juan co. (Drew), and La Plata co. 

 (Morrison) ; it has been taken in El Paso co. in February, May and 

 December (Aiken coll.), and in Boulder co. in winter (Henderson), 

 and is considered only as an occasional visitor, chiefly in winter, at 

 Grand Junction (Rockwell). 



Habits. — This bird derives its name from its habit 

 of creeping about the trunks and larger branches of trees, 

 and in this its stiff tail and sharp claws greatly assist 

 it ; so closely does it harmonize with the rough bark 

 over which it glides that it is often extremely difficult 

 to detect it ; it has a thin, sharp, long drawn-out cry 

 which generally betrays its presence. It feeds on small 

 insects, their eggs and larvae, for which it searches 

 diligently under the interstices of the bark. 



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