Difficult to spot on the best of days, that is until they spread their wings becoming spectacular in flight, with their broad black, red, and white-spotted wings, in the process resembling a giant monarch butterfly.
Meet the Wallcreeper
"Wallcreeper – Alps – Italy_5037" by fveronesi1 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Adult male Wallcreepers (Tichodromadidae) in breeding plumage have gray upper parts with a striking pattern on the broad, rounded wings. The carmine-red lesser and median coverts, along with red-pink on the alula, contrast with the duller primary and greater coverts.
"Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) (37593673495)" by Imran Shah from Islamabad, Pakistan is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.
Adult females differ slightly, with a grayish-white lower throat and upper breast with a black patch of variable size.
In non-breeding plumage, both sexes appear paler gray above with a whitish chin, throat, and breast, lacking the black throat patch. Juveniles resemble non-breeding adults but have a brownish throat and more uniformly gray plumage.
"Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)" by gilgit2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
The Wallcreeper is found in various rocky habitats such as steep cliffs, boulder-strewn slopes, gorges, and mountains.
"wallcreeper" by Paolo is licensed under CC BY 4.
The Wallcreeper is a vocal bird throughout the year. During the breeding season, it produces ascending clear whistles with a lower-end note. Outside of the breeding season, both males and females sing as advertising calls to establish their territories. The race "nepalensis" has a distinctive vocalization with rich whistled notes gently rising, followed by a high-pitched note. Short trills and warblers can also be heard from the Wallcreeper. Females tend to sing more frequently in the winter areas. Additionally, the Wallcreeper utters a whistled "tschirp" as a contact call.
Photo courtesy of Charles J. Sharp – Own work, from Sharp Photography, sharpphotography.co.uk/CC BY-SA 4.0When foraging, the Wallcreeper usually searches for insects, spiders, and other invertebrates alone. It moves along rocky cliffs and walls using short, jerky hops, as well as sidling, creeping, and walking. It can perform upward leaps with the help of a single rapid wing beat on vertical surfaces. The Wallcreeper catches prey from the rock surface and vegetated ledges. It searches for insects in holes and tunnels, extracting invertebrates from rocky crevices. Occasionally, it may catch prey in flight or forage on the ground, using its closed bill to turn leaf litter.
"Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria) 68" (cropped) by Nrik kiran is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Wallcreeper is a migratory bird, primarily undertaking short-distance and altitudinal migrations depending on the season. During winter, it can be observed at lower elevations, including urban areas. Pairs of Wallcreepers form after returning from wintering areas. The male performs aerial displays near the chosen nest site, alternating glides and wing flapping within a small area, executing sharp turns, steep ascents, and dives.
"wallcreeper" by Imran Shah is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
During the breeding season, which takes place in April-May and July-August in Europe and May-July in the Himalayas, the Wallcreeper is monogamous and produces a single brood.
"Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)" by gilgit2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
With its large, broad wings, the Wallcreeper takes advantage of updrafts in the mountains to reach higher foraging areas with minimal effort.
"Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria)" by gilgit2 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Although the Wallcreeper is fairly common, it can be challenging to observe due to its inaccessible mountain habitat. This species is protected in most European countries; however, it is classified as "critically endangered," "vulnerable," and "near threatened" in Poland, Liechtenstein, and Slovakia, respectively.
"wallcreeper" by Christoph Moning is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Watch this bird right here in the video below:
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