Alternative name: Red-eyebrowed Treecreeper
- Climacteris erythrops
Identification
15 - 16cm.
- Dark grey head, neck, rump and uppertail-coverts
- Dark brown rest of upperparts
- Broad rufous-brown eyebrow extends across the face
- White chin and throat
- Grey breast and belly with broad dark brown and white streaks
Females have a red-brown eyebrow and rusty red streaks on the upper breast. Juveniles have an uniform grey head, no rufous eye patch and few or no markings on underparts.
Distribution
Endemic to eastern Australia.
Moderately common in suitable habitat.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
The described subspecies olinda from southeastern Victoria is usually not recognized.
Forms a superspecies with White-browed Treecreeper.
Habitat
Forests and woodlans of the Great Dividing Range. Most common in wet sclerophyll forest but also in dry sclerophyll forest with grassy understorey.
Occurs from sea-level up to 1500m.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on adult and larvae insects, mainly ants.
Forages on trunks and large boughs. It occasionally comes to the ground to hunt.
Breeding
Breeding season from late August to January, sometimes two broods. A monogamous species but breeds sometimes in co-operative groups with one or two helpers.
Its nest is built of bark covered in a layer of fur, and is placed in a tree hollow 5 to 30m off the ground. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
A sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliott, and D Christie, eds. 2007. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 12: Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553422
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Red-browed Treecreeper. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 October 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red-browed_Treecreeper