Birds · Passeriformes · Tichodromidae

Wallcreeper

Tichodroma muraria

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The wallcreeper is one of the most spectacular and hardest-to-see birds in Europe. Grey at rest, on opening its wings it reveals intense crimson patches that make it unmistakable. It lives on vertical high-mountain faces, where it works its way across the rock in short hops, probing the crevices for invertebrates with its long, curved bill. In winter it comes down to lower ground and turns up in gorges, on dams and even on cathedrals. In Spain it breeds in the Pyrenees and the Cantabrian Mountains.

Weight

15 g – 20 g

Size

15 cm – 17 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

MountainInsectivore Diurnal Solitary Bird Mountain

17countries 23parks

Fun facts

As it works across the rock face it constantly opens and closes its wings, flashing the crimson in bursts that have earned it the nickname of the butterfly of the rocks.
It is the only species in its family: it has no close living relative, and its lineage has been isolated from the other climbing birds for millions of years.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Rock faces and vertical walls of the high mountains; in winter it descends to ravines and gorges
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 19 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 4 eggs

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/