Page 353 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

NUTHATCHES,WALLCREEPERS,AND TREECREEPERS
Families Sittidae, Tichodromadidae, Certhiidae
NUTHATCHES,WALLCREEPERS,
AND TREECREEPERS

HESE ARE ALL BIRDS that find their food occasionally gives breathtaking views at close
Twhile creeping and climbing over hard range, which is always a memorable encounter.
surfaces: tree bark, walls, or rocks.There are two Wallcreepers creep in a rather crouched stance,
species pairs and one totally unique species. bobbing as if mounted on springs, with frequent
outward flicks of their wingtips.
NUTHATCHES
Nuthatches are agile, using the strength of their TREECREEPERS
legs and toes to grip,and able to cling underneath Treecreepers literally creep on trees:they can hang
branches or overhang, and as easily able to move beneath a branch, but use the tail as a support, so
head-down as right-way up.The Nuthatch is a never descend head-first.Identification is difficult,
woodland bird but also feeds on the ground; the unless a bird is definitely outside the range of
Rock Nuthatch is a bird of rocks,walls,and ruins. one or other, or it is singing.Treecreeper and
Short-toed Treecreeper songs are usually
WALLCREEPERS distinctive, but the latter may sometimes sing
Nothing else even confusingly like the former. Close examination,
suggests a Wallcreeper: preferably of photographs, is necessary to identify
it is a stunning bird of a stray outside its normal range.Treecreepers
mountain cliffs and join roving bands of tits in winter, when woods
gorges, sometimes seem empty until, suddenly, trees are “full of
coming to quarries, birds” for a few minutes, before they move on.
bridges, and large
buildings lower down
in winter. It is elusive,
hard to spot against
grey rock, but
STRONG GRIP
Nuthatches can more or less cling
to a branch at any angle, head-
down or head-up.

FLOATING FLIGHT
Wallcreepers in flight,
despite their small size, are
absolutely spectacular. At
a distance the white spots
are more evident than the
deep red on the wings.

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