From Opus

Salpornis spilonotus

Photo by safariranger
Photo taken: Kapishya Hot Springs, Zambia

Includes: African Spotted Creeper; Indian Spotted Creeper

[edit] Identification

Its plumage is strongly spotted and barred and it has a thin pointed down-curved bill, which it uses to extricate insects from bark; it lacks the stiff tail feathers which the true treecreepers use to support themselves on vertical trees.

[edit] Distribution

Sub-Saharan Africa and northern India.

[edit] Taxonomy

Salpornis spilonotus is the only member of the subfamily Salpornithinae of the treecreeper family Certhiidae.

There are six subspecies:¹

• S. s. emini

• Gambia to north-eastern DRC and north-western Uganda

• S. s. erlangeri

• Ethiopia

• S. s. salvadori

• Extreme eastern Uganda to western Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi

• S. s. xylodromus

• Zimbabwe and adjacent Mozambique

• S. s. spilonotus

• Central and western India

• S. s. rajputanae

• North-western India (this subspecies is not thought valid by all authorities, some include the birds within spilonotus)

Recent research is interpreted to indicate that this species is better split into two: African Spotted Creeper S. salvadori for all African birds and Indian Spotted Creeper S. spilonotus for the birds from India.²

[edit] Habitat

Open deciduous forest and woodlands and mangrove swamps.

[edit] Behaviour

Nests in tree crevices.

The voice of the west African subspecies emini is described as being quite different from other African subspecies.

[edit] References

1. Clements JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2008. Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
2. Birdforum thread discussing the potential split of this species

[edit] External Links