There are 10 species of birds in this family. They are 3.5-7.5 inches in length and have slender bodies. They live in woodlands in Eurasia, Africa, and North America. They are brown on their uppersides and white on their undersides.

Treecreepers have long, thin, curved bills that they use to probe for insects in the bark of trees. They cling to the sides of trees, like woodpeckers, as they look for food. They have long, stiff tail feathers that help them stay vertical on trees.

The brown creeper (Certhia americana) is the only species found in North America. It is found throughout North America from Canada and Alaska south to Nicaragua.

The brown creeper lives in coniferous forests and mixed forests. It is 5-6 inches in length and is streaked brown on its uppersides and white on its undersides. It has a white stripe above its eyes; a long, curved bill; and small legs and feet.

It has a long, stiff tail that helps it creep up and balance on the sides of trees. It creeps up a tree trunk in a spiral, probing for insects as it goes, and then drops down and goes to the base of another tree and starts creeping up in a spiral again.