- Salpornis spilonota
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.
Distribution
Northern India (eastern Rajasthan and Gujarat east to Bihar).
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Some authorities accept two subspecies[2]:
- S. s. spilonota
- Central and western India
- S. s. rajputanae
- North-western
It was formerly included in Spotted Creeper.
Habitat
Open deciduous forest and woodlands and mangrove swamps.
Behaviour
Breeding
Nests in tree crevices.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Birdforum thread discussing the potential split of this species
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Indian Spotted Creeper. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 January 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Indian_Spotted_Creeper
