Short-toed treecreeper

Short Description

The short-toed treecreeper is a well camouflaged small bird with drab brown plumage. Characteristic is its creeping up trees. The stripe above the eyes (supercilium) and the underparts are beige or off-white. Its bill is straight or shows a slight downward bend.

Features

Short-toed treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

small
creeping up tree trunks

Rufe und Gesang

Tretzel, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Similar species

Eurasian treecreeper

Certhia familiaris

The common treecreeper is easily recognised by it song. Its song is quieter, the stanzas sound longer and descending. In addition, its supercilium (plumage on the head) is pure white, as are its underparts. It is a forest bird that is only rarely found close to human habitation and in sparsely planted parks.

Wood nuthatch

Sitta europaea

Nuthatches have a more strikingly coloured plumage and sturdier body.

In the city

Short-toed treecreepers can be found in parks, tree-lined roads, cemeteries and gardens, especially those with old trees. They build their nests in tree crevices or similar cavities, e.g. in buildings or walls.

Thanks to its excellent camouflage, it is very difficult to spot.

Fun Facts

It only ever climbs up a tree, never down. To that end, it circles the trunk in an upward spiral motion.
It can be seen in Germany all year round.
It feeds on insects. With its long pointed bill, it picks its prey out of fissures in the bark.
Endangerment level Germany: not endangered

Sources

Habitus , Ben Fredericson, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Certhia_brachydactyla_on_a_tree,_M%C3%BCnster,_Germany.jpg

Habitus , Ignacio García, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_littel_Short-toed_Treecreeper.jpg

Habitus , Francesco Veronesi, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Short-toed_Treecreeper_-_Aosta_Valley_-_Italy.jpg

Witt, K. & Steiof, K. (2013) Rote Liste und Liste der Brutvögel von Berlin, 3. version, 15.11.2013. : Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (eds.) Berliner Ornithologischer Bericht, volume 23, Berlin: Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V., 1-23.

NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (2016) Rote Liste der Brutvögel Deutschlands. 5. version, published August 2016, URL: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/voegel/artenschutz/rote-listen/10221.html (Accessed: 07.04.2017).

Fiedler, W. (2015) Die Vögel Mitteleuropas sicher bestimmen - Schlüssel zur Art-, Alters- und Geschlechtsbestimmung, Wiebelsheim: Quelle & Meyer Verlag.

Makatsch, W. (1989) Wir bestimmen die Vögel Europas, Leipzig: Neumann Verlag.

Voigt, A. (2006) Exkursionsbuch zum Studium der Vogelstimmen, Heidelberg: Quelle & Meyer Verlag.

Svensson, L. (2011) Der Kosmos Vogelführer - Alle Arten Europas, Nordafrikas und Vorderasiens, Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Harrison, C. (1975) Jungvögel, Eier und Nester aller Vögel Europas, Nordafrikas und des Mittleren Ostens - Ein Naturführer zur Fortpflanzungsbiologie, Hamburg und Berlin: Verlag Paul Parey.

NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (n.d.) In Spiralen um den Baumstamm: der Waldbaumläufer, URL: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/aktionen-und-projekte/stunde-der-gartenvoegel/vogelportraets/03727.html (Accessed: 07.04.2017).