Appearance:

Like a large Willow Warbler, with distinct dark eye-stripe. Supercilium marked, but narrow. Starts at base of bill, continuing far behind eye. Wing-bar distinct on greater coverts, and sometimes on median coverts too. Primary projection long. Bill long and relatively heavy with orange base. Flanks often slightly grey, and throat sometimes with faint streaking. Appearance robust, but elegant. Moves faster and with more confidence than congeners.

Sound:

Call and song diagnostic. Song a rattling series of 20-30 single syllables. Repeated as a monotonous phrase in stable pitch, lasting 2-4 seconds. Starts more softly with volume rising throughout each phrase. Contact call equally unique. A hard and short "tsrrt", recalling contact call of Dipper. Often given as introductory part of song.

Song (two variants) and calls:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Karri Kuitunen, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Very similar to Treecreeper C. familiaris, and id by sound generally easier than by appearance in areas where both species occur. Primaries with small, almost pure white tips restricted to outer web. Hind-claw shorter than hind-toe. Wing-bar usually with even "steps", but often difficult to determine. Underparts less white and more brownish than in continental C. familiaris (which again is browner than the pure white northern subspecies). Bill longer and with a stronger curved tip.

Sound:

Contact call very similar to C. familiaris. A thin "sreee" often repeated in an even rhythm, perhaps with slighly shorter pauses. Flight call a short and sharp "wit" used freely when moving about. Song diagnostic, and introductory notes often used singly when interacting. Full song starts with one or two staccato introductory notes, the first higher pitched than the second, followed by a rapid, ascending crescendo ending in a drawn-out, less pure "sree". The tone is loud and much more penetrating and clear than C. familiaris. Timbre recalls wet rubber-boots on vinyl flooring. Note that "mixed singers" of C. familiaris are not uncommon in areas where both species of treecreepers occur.

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:Agustín Povedano, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Agustín Povedano, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Mickaël Dia, Licence,Link.