The wallcreeper, also known as Tichodroma muraria, is a cute little bird that can be seen in the high mountains of the Palearctic region, stretching from southern Europe to central China. It belongs to the family Tichodromidae and is the only surviving member of the genus Tichodroma.
The wallcreeper is a small bird that measures 15.5-17 centimeters in length and weighs between 17-19 grams. The bird’s feathers are mainly blue-grey, with darker feathers on the wings and tail. However, what truly stands out are its stunning crimson wings. These bright feathers cover most of the covert feathers, as well as the basal half of the primaries and secondaries. The T. m. nepalensis subspecies is slightly darker than the main race.
The wallcreeper is a bird that thrives in high mountainous regions, with breeding elevations ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 metres (3,300 to 9,800 ft). While it mostly remains in its habitat throughout the year, it does descend to lower elevations during winter, often taking refuge in buildings and quarries. In France, it has been observed repeatedly wintering on cathedrals and viaducts in Brittany and Normandy. The wallcreeper has also been spotted in other countries such as England and the Netherlands, where one was reported to have spent two consecutive winters between 1989 and 1991 at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Additionally, the wallcreeper is a resident species in much of the Himalayas and can be found across India, Nepal, Bhutan, parts of Tibet, and as a winter visitor in Bangladesh.
Nature and habits:
The particular type of animal can appear friendly at times, but it can be challenging to spot them on the sides of mountains. Even though they might display trust during breeding and migration seasons, and stray creatures can be remarkably welcoming, they still remain cautious when they sense that they are being observed. They may even alter their path towards their nest when under prolonged scrutiny.
Wallcreepers are known for their territorial behavior, especially during the breeding season where pairs are highly protective of their territory. Once winter arrives, however, wallcreepers tend to be more solitary with males and females defending their own feeding territories. While it’s difficult to determine the actual size of these territories, they can range from a single large quarry or rock massif to several smaller quarries and rock faces. Interestingly, wallcreepers are known to travel long distances from their roosting sites to reach their feeding territories. Additionally, they exhibit site fidelity by returning to the same winter feeding territories year after year.
Regarding breeding, the female wallcreeper creates a cozy cup nest made of grass and moss inside recesses of rocks or caves. The nest is well-lined with soft materials such as wool or feathers and usually possesses two entrances. The female generally lays about 4 to 5 eggs, but sometimes as little as three. The eggs are white and speckled with black or reddish-brown spots, measuring approximately 21 mm long. After laying all the eggs, the mother bird sits on them for about 19 to 20 days until they hatch. During this time, the male brings her food. The newborn chicks are altricial, which means they are born blind, featherless, and totally dependent on their parents. Both parents take turns feeding the nestlings until they are ready to fledge, which takes up to 28-30 days. Each pair of wallcreepers raises only one brood per year.
Diet:
The wallcreeper is known to be a bug-eater and has a preference for land-dwelling invertebrates such as spiders and insects that it collects from rocky surfaces. The bird may also pursue airborne bugs by darting out from its perch on the wall. When searching for food, wallcreepers tend to fly briefly and hop rapidly along the cliff face, occasionally extending their wings.
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