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Black-tailed TreecreeperAlternate name(s): "Black Tree-creeper", "Allied Treecreeper", "Chestnut-bellied Treecreeper" Size: 17-20 cm Weight: 27-36 g |
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Photos |
Race "melanurus"
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ADULT |
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MALE |
Frontal view of a male Black-tailed Treecreeper; note the
black-and-white streaked throat, chin and upper chest
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]
Near-frontal view of a male Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]
Near-lateral view of a male Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Barkley Highway, 50 km NW of Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]
Near-lateral view of a male Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]
Lateral view of a male Black-tailed Treecreeper; this appears
to be a favourite perch - note the scratch marks
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]
Lateral view of a male Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Marrakai track, NT, July 2014]
Lateral view of a male Black-tailed Treecreeper in flight
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]
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FEMALE |
Near-lateral view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper; note
the white throat patch and rufous-and-white upper chest
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Kakadu NP,
NT, July 2020]
Near-lateral view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Marrakai track, NT, August 2013]
Lateral view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper looking
at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]
Lateral view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper looking
at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]
Lateral view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]
Lateral view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bird Billabong Road, near Arnhem Highway, NT, July 2018]
Near-dorsal view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]
Near-dorsal view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mary River Wilderness Retreat, NT, July 2020]
Adult female Black-tailed Treecreeper, right, approaching to
feed a much darker juvenile (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Marrakai track, NT, August 2013]
Female Black-tailed Treecreeper with either food for chicks
or a poo sac near its suspected nesting hollow
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bird Billabong Road, near Arnhem Highway, NT, July 2018]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of a juvenile Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Marrakai track, NT, August 2013]
Dorsal view of a juvenile Black-tailed Treecreeper
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Marrakai track, NT, August 2013]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Aug - Jan | Eggs: 2 - 3 | Incubation period: ? | Fledging age: ? |
Preferably young males from an earlier clutch will help a pair to build the nest, feed the incubating female and care for the young.
Nest building: Female, male & helpers | Incubation: Female | Dependent care: Family clan |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Tree hollow | Material: Grass or feather lining | Height above ground: ? |
All species of Australian treecreepers build grass (and/or bark) nests inside tree hollows, either in tree trunks or dead limbs.
Lateral view of a male Black-tailed Treecreeper carrying food
for its brood in a hollow tree trunk (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Keep River NP, NT, November 2018]
Frontal view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper at the
opening of its nest hollow (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bird Billabong Road, near Arnhem Highway, NT, July 2018]
Near-frontal view of a female Black-tailed Treecreeper at the
opening of its nest hollow (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bird Billabong Road, near Arnhem Highway, NT, July 2018]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 25 x 20 mm | Colour: White, with mid-brown speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
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Behaviour |
This photo of a female frontal Black-tailed Treecreeper shows
that treecreepers do not walk or crawl up tree trunks, but
they hop (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bird Billabong Road, near Arnhem Highway, NT, July 2018]
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Food, Diet |
This Black-tailed Treecreeper seemed to be interested in the
flowers of a Woolibutt tree... (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bird Billabong Road, near Arnhem Highway, NT, July 2018]
... but it turned out that it was after the
lerps
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bird Billabong Road, near Arnhem Highway, NT, July 2018]
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
bltrcrp_pb_20190709.m4a |
melanurus (Top End, NT) |
Territorial call(?) | © PB | |
bltrcrp_pb_20201017.m4a |
melanurus (Top End, NT) |
? | © PB |
More Black-tailed Treecreeper sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.