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| The Spiralling Tree Trunk Hunter of Mountainous Forests – The Rusty-Flanked Treecreeper |
| The Rusty-Flanked Treecreeper also known as the
Nepal Treecreeper, is a bird species found in the temperate forests of the Himalayas, including Nepal, Northern India, Bhutan, and Western Yunnan. It’s characterized by its warm brown upperparts, dark brown ear patch, and contrasting rusty tones on its flanks. These treecreepers are known for their foraging behaviour, where they spiral up tree trunks in search of insects and other invertebrates under the bark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Rusty-Flanked Treecreeper can be identified by its slender, down-curved bill, perfect for probing into crevices in search of insects. Its upperparts are mottled with brown and white, while the defining rusty flanks give this bird its common name. It is a thumb-sized bird that has a length of only up to 14 cm in length and weighing between 8 to 12 gms. A rather dark treecreeper with strong contrast below between off-white throat and chest and cinnamon lower underparts, and relatively short and straight bill. In fresh plumage (Sept to Mar), has feathers of forehead buff, fringed dark brown, crown, nape and upper mantle sooty-brown, buff shaft streaks broadening towards feather tips (becoming broadest and palest on upper mantle, which appears spotted); lores blackish, cheek mottled buff and dark brown, ear-coverts sooty black with few fine buff streaks, supercilium pale buff (narrow and poorly marked before eye) and connecting with pale buff side of neck; lower mantle and scapulars dull cinnamon-buff with slightly paler shaft streaks and sooty-brown fringes (appears scalloped), back, rump and uppertail-coverts rich cinnamon-rufous; upperwing-coverts sooty brown, lessers and medians with buff spot near tip, greater coverts with outer webs tipped rich buff and narrowly fringed orange-buff; alula and primary coverts sooty brown, former broadly tipped buff; tertials pale grey-brown, becoming blackish-brown towards tips, shaft pale buff and outer web with pale buff fringe and tip and subterminal buff notch or band; primaries and secondaries dark brown; tail medium grey-brown, shafts very long and rufous-buff; chin whitish, throat, breast and centre of belly white, washed buff, side of breast brownish-cinnamon (may extend to form broken breastband, with faint darker feather tips when very fresh), flanks, belly, vent and thighs cinnamon, becoming rufous-cinnamon on rear thighs, undertail-coverts tipped slightly paler; in worn plumage (Apr to Aug) upperparts slightly duller, underparts whiter, chin to centre of belly very white and contrasting strongly with more restricted area of cinnamon); iris red-brown to brown; bill dark horn-brown to black, cutting edges and base of lower mandible pinkish-white; legs pale fleshy-horn to brown. Both the Sexes arevsimilar. Juvenile is as adult but streaks on crown and nape narrower and buffier, feathers of lower back to uppertail-coverts duller with dark brown subterminal band (rump patch thus duller and less contrastingly rufous), duller below, darker feather fringes on sides of throat, breast, belly and flanks form irregular faint scalloping, contrasting dark colour more restricted (obvious only on rear flanks). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… Distinguished from The Bar-Tailed Treecreeper by plain unmarked tail, and from The Sikkim Treecreeper which is found at a slightly lower altitude of 1800 to 2600 mtrs, by rather paler, buff-white throat and breast; separation from The Eurasian Treecreeper (of Himalayan race Mandellii) normally straightforward, as present species has underparts much less uniform, also broader buffer supercilium encircling almost solidly dark ear-coverts, more scalloped (less mottled) appearance to scapulars and lower mantle. Resembles the Hodgsons Treecreeper, but has a straighter- and shorter-billed profile and warm tones on the sides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… The Rusty-Flanked Treecreeper is found in northern India, Nepal, Bhutan and western Yunnan. Its natural habitats are boreal forests and temperate forests. Breeds in upper temperate zone, extending marginally into subalpine zone, in moist broadleaf evergreen forest, especially Oak, also coniferous and mixed deciduous forests and pure stands of Rhododendron; descends in winter into broadleaf forests in lower temperate zone. In Himalayas recorded in summer at 2300 to 3660 mtrs, exceptionally as low as 2000 mtrs. Generally found at higher elevations than The Sikkim Treecreeper and lower than The Bar-Tailed Treecreeper and The Eurasian Treecreeper (Mandelli’s Treecreeper), but some altitudinal overlap with all three species. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… As the name suggests, treecreepers ascend upward from the lower part of a tree trunk in search of food, moving in a spiral motion. Upon reaching a certain height, they fly down and then ascend again, much like creepers that climb up by clinging to the tree trunk, using their strong legs and sharp claws to cling to the bark. For sustenance, they forage for small insects, spiders, and other invertebrates under the bark. Food arthropods. They also consume plant matter like wild figs and nectar from flowering trees. Forages on trunks and lower branches of trees, including underside of large horizontal boughs, searching for food among epiphytes; seldom found high up in branches. They also forage on the ground, hopping with a raised tail. Occurs singly or in loose pairs; sometimes in small flocks in pre-breeding period. May join mixed-species foraging flocks, although apparently less prone to do so than other treecreepers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. …. ……. . .. … …… ………………………. ………….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. ……………….. .. …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. … …. ………… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. ……………. …… …. …. ……….. … …. ……….. .. ………… ….. ………. …………. …….. …… Generally, a rather quiet bird. Calls include thin sit and penetrating zip. Song a short (0·8 to 1 second), simple, high-pitched silvery rattle of 7 to 9 notes, more or less uniform in pitch and tempo but increasing in volume and power, and introduced by single thin whistled note, si-sisisisisisisit; much shorter and higher-pitched than those of The Sikkim Treecreeper and The Bar-Tailed Treecreeper. ….. ….. ………. …… ………….. ………… ………… …. … … …… ………….. ………… ………… ….. ………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. …………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …… ………….. ………….. …… ………….. …………………….. … ………… ….. ………. …………. ….. ………. …… ………… ………….. …… ……….. …… ………….. ………… ……….. Description Credit Birds of the World (The Cornell Lab), Oiseaux, Birda, Animalia, Nepal Desk, Ogaclicks, Birds of India | Bird World, Bird Count India & Wiki. |
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